Pope Leo XIV’s Creole Roots Resurface America’s Racial Past—and Catholicism’s Future

The election of Pope Leo XIV has stirred reflection—and pride—within America’s Black and Creole Catholic communities. New Orleans genealogist Jari Honora traced the pope’s maternal lineage to four free people of color in 19th-century Louisiana, revealing deep Creole heritage rooted in French, African, and Native American ancestry. “It was special for me because I share that heritage,” Honora shared. For many, Pope Leo XIV’s background is more than a personal connection—it’s a challenge to the Catholic Church to confront its complex racial history and amplify long-overlooked Black Catholic voices. As the first pontiff with publicly acknowledged African ancestry, Leo’s rise is reigniting conversations around race, identity, and representation in global Catholicism—and offering hope for a Church more inclusive of the diversity it already holds.