Across Black America and particularly in the heart of New Orleans, a wave of pride is building as the Catholic Church welcomes its new leader: Pope Leo XIV. Born Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, the new pontiff brings a personal heritage that is resonating far beyond the walls of the Vatican. According to genealogist Jari Honora, Pope Leo’s maternal line can be traced directly to the historic 7th Ward of New Orleans—an area rich with Creole and Black cultural roots—and even further back to Haiti. Census documents from earlier generations list his ancestors as “Black” or “Mulatto,” underscoring the authenticity of this lineage.
“We’ve got a Black Pope—by their own standards,” quipped author and legal analyst Elie Mystal, referencing outdated racial classification laws. “His grandfather is Haitian. This is real. This is history. And the anti-woke crowd is probably already losing it.”
Honora, a New Orleans historian who spoke with both the National Catholic Reporter and Black Catholic Messenger, elaborated on the Pope’s background: his grandparents were married at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church on Annette Street in 1887 before moving north. Their daughter, Mildred Martínez—Pope Leo’s mother—was the first of the family born in Chicago.
“The Holy Father’s family was identified in historical records as Black or Mulatto,” Honora confirmed.
Major outlets such as the Chicago Tribune and New York Times have also reported on the Pope’s mixed-race heritage and Creole lineage, emphasizing how his election signals a shift in the Church’s global identity. Representative Troy Carter, who serves the very 7th Ward that figures so prominently in the Pope’s family history, shared his reaction with unmistakable emotion.
“As a Black man, a proud son of New Orleans, and a Xavier University alum, I’m bursting with pride,” Carter said. “This is a defining moment: the first American Pope, with roots in Haiti and Creole New Orleans, now leading the global Church. Faith, perseverance, and identity are all wrapped into this story. We’re celebrating—with joy, prayers, and pride.”
Former New Orleans mayor Marc Morial added that Leo XIV’s background speaks to a larger universality: “He’s an American who served in Peru, with Southern U.S. and African-American ancestry. That’s a bridge across cultures.”
Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian Order named for St. Augustine of Hippo—an African theologian—emerged as the Vatican’s choice following a conclave where other top contenders included African Cardinals Peter Turkson of Ghana and Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yet it was Leo’s unique blend of American experience and moral clarity that set him apart.
Known in Rome as “The Latin Yankee,” Leo XIV has a track record of speaking forcefully on racial justice, immigration, gun violence, and the death penalty. TIME Magazine reported that his election pushed back against conservative attempts—especially from U.S. billionaires and allies of Donald Trump—to sway the selection process.
Before ascending to the papacy, he often used his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, @drprevost, to share views aligned with progressive Catholic leaders. He reposted critiques of Trump-era immigration policies, including a retweet of journalist Rocco Palmo’s denouncement of the Trump-Bukele alliance on deportations. Back in 2017, he also highlighted Archbishop Blase Cupich’s statement calling Trump’s refugee bans “a dark hour of U.S. history.”
While Trump issued a tepid congratulations from outside the White House, his far-right base responded with venom. Commentator Laura Loomer labeled Pope Leo “a WOKE MARXIST POPE” and a “puppet in the Vatican.” But in cities like Chicago and New Orleans—and in Black communities around the globe—the mood was triumphant.
“The Pope is Black,” stated journalist Clarence Hill Jr. Simply. Powerfully. And that truth is reshaping what representation looks like within the Church’s highest office.
Representative Carter added, “This isn’t about forgetting our struggles. It’s about honoring our faith and heritage, and recognizing that we belong—not on the margins, but at the center of history.”
Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. of the Black Press of America echoed that sentiment: “As the voice of 50 million African Americans and countless others across the diaspora, we celebrate Pope Leo XVI as a leader of African descent who stands with truth, justice, and courage.”