Pope Leo XIV was introduced as the pinnacle of the Catholic Church on Thursday, changing into the primary American pope in historical past. Based on a genealogist, Pope Leo XIV has African-Creole roots, inspiring many on social media to assert the church chief as Black.
As reported by Black Catholic Messenger, Pope Leo XIV, previously Robert Prevost of Chicago, has a connection to New Orleans through his maternal grandparents, who lived within the famed metropolis earlier than transferring north to Chicago. Genealogist and professional on Creole historical past Jari Honora traced the pope’s roots to New Orleans. Based on Census knowledge, the pope’s mom, Mildred Martinez, was the mixed-race daughter of Joseph Martinez, who was born in Haiti, and Louise Baquié, a Creole who hailed from New Orleans.
The pope, raised in Chicago’s South Facet neighborhood, joined the Augustinian order after being ordained in 1982. He earned a canon legislation doctorate diploma on the Angelicum in Rome, forward of working for greater than a decade in Peru and overseeing an Augustinian seminary there.
The pope already owns the excellence of being the primary American named because the pope, and could be thought of the primary Black pope in historical past, though it isn’t recognized if he claims his Creole roots or if he identifies as Black.
“It’s extra sophisticated than that,” Honora mentioned to Black Catholic Messenger. “I feel that an individual will be of Black ancestry or have Black roots, however to determine as Black, I feel, is all concerning the lived expertise.”
Honora was certainly one of a number of genealogists and researchers who made the connection to Pope Leo XIV’s Creole ancestry, prompting notable chatter on-line. Many have been already celebrating the pope’s ascension, and for being from Chicago, resulting in hilarious and excitable reactions throughout social media.
The pope is a part of a non secular order named after the African saint, Augustine of Hippo. Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Francis, handed away on April 21 on the age of 88.
On X, reactions to the information that Pope Leo XIV has Creole roots have unfold far and extensive. We’ve obtained these reactions under.
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Photograph: SOPA Photographs / Getty
