The genealogical findings underline the significance of Pope Leo XIV being not only the first pope from the United States, but also being the first with documented ancestral ties to Louisiana’s ...

This is like a reward from God,” a local parishioner said, as researchers unearthed more details about the lives of Leo XIV’s ...

The pope's maternal grandparents are described as Black or a person of mixed white and Black ancestry in historical documents ...

When Father Tony Ricard watched the new pope deliver his first address to the faithful Thursday in St. Peter’s Square, he ...

French Creole families and free people of color, according to The Data Center. Honora also found evidence that the new pope has "Creole of color roots," as his mother is of Creole descent ...

As part of the melting pot of French, Spanish, African and Native American cultures in Louisiana, the pope's maternal ancestors would be considered Creole. ''It was special for me because I share ...