Catholic Newspaper Says Leo XIV May Be ‘First Black Pope’

A surprising twist in the story of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV has historians and Catholics around the world buzzing. A leading Catholic outlet, The National Catholic Reporter, is raising the possibility that the 69-year-old pontiff, born Robert Francis Prevost, may be the first Black pope in the history of the Catholic Church.

The claim is based on U.S. Census records dating back more than 150 years. According to the 1870 census, Leo’s maternal grandparents, Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquié, were recorded as “mulatto,” a term historically used to identify people of mixed African and European heritage. A review by The Daily Beast confirmed the documents, suggesting deep Creole roots with ties to New Orleans and Haiti.

Joseph Martinez was born in Haiti, while Baquié hailed from New Orleans’ Seventh Ward—a neighborhood known for its rich blend of African, Caribbean, and European cultures and its predominantly Catholic population. Martinez, later listed as “Black” in the 1900 census, worked as a cigar maker. The couple eventually moved to Chicago in the early 20th century.

Despite these revelations, Pope Leo has never publicly addressed his ancestry or racial identity. In fact, census records from 1920 listed his parents as white. His brother, John Prevost, told The New York Times that the siblings never identified as people of color and didn’t grow up discussing their Creole lineage.

The Vatican’s official biography sticks to broad ethnic descriptors, stating that Leo is the son of Louis Marius Prevost, of French and Italian descent, and Mildred Martínez, of Spanish descent. There’s no mention of his maternal grandparents’ racial classification or family history in New Orleans.

While Pope Leo’s racial identity remains a private matter, genealogist Jari C. Honora, who first uncovered the archival evidence, believes the findings are significant. “No doubt about it,” Honora told the Times when asked if Leo’s grandparents were people of color.

“This discovery is just an additional reminder of how interwoven we are as Americans,” he said. “I hope that it will highlight the long history of Black Catholics, both free and enslaved, in this country, which includes the Holy Father’s family.”

Adding a personal touch, Honora wrote on Facebook, “I’m sure the Pope’s Creole ancestors are gathered together smiling and saying, ‘Mais, cher, dat boy done good, yeah!’”