Overview

• Historian Jari Honora uncovered that Pope Leo XIV’s maternal grandparents, Louise Baquié and Joseph Martinez, were Creoles of color listed as Black in the 1900 Census and later recorded as White in Chicago during the Jim Crow era.
• Joseph Martinez’s birthplace was variously documented as Haiti, Santo Domingo, or Louisiana, reflecting the fluidity of identity during that time.
• The genealogical discovery has been embraced by Black Catholics and community leaders, who see it as a milestone for representation and an opportunity to reflect on racial history within the Church.
• The pope’s family did not identify as Black, and his Creole roots were not discussed during his upbringing, according to his brother John Prevost.
• Local leaders, including those in Boston and New Orleans, have highlighted the significance of the pope’s diverse background for fostering unity and addressing historical inequities in the Catholic Church.