News

Rebecca R. Bibbs: Why the pope’s Black ancestry matters
The way the news of the new pope’s heritage was made public speaks to the complexity of discussions of race in the U.S.
Pope Leo XIV ancestry linked to St. Landry Parish since 1792
St. Landry Parish Archivist Larry Caillier Jr. has researched the Pope's family lineage, tracing it back to St. Landry Parish ...
NewsX12d
Pope Leo XIV’s Grandfather Was A Sicilian Immigrant, Genealogists Confirm
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, has ancestral ties to northeastern Sicily, ...
The Times of Northwest Indiana4dOpinion
Pope Leo XIV’s grandfather: Two identities, illicit affair, stint in NWI | Davich
Pope Leo XIV's ancestry isn't necessarily unique. It's quintessentially American, illustrated by his grandfather's illicit ...
Could Leo XIV be the first African American pope? His New Orleans roots say yes | Column
There’s no record the new pope ever identified as Black, and he may never have researched his family’s roots in New Orleans.
Nicki Swift on MSN11d
JD Vance's Meet & Greet With Pope Leo XIV After Inaugural Mass Has Everyone Making The Same Joke
JD Vance and wife Usha briefly met Pope Leo after his inaugural mass, triggering a wave of jokes about the pontiff's safety ...
NOLA.com13h
Pope Leo’s Louisiana roots stretch back even further to Spanish-held territory in Acadiana
The pope’s family history of “gens de couleur libre,” or free people of color, can be traced back to Opelousas, a ...
Opinion
Comment: Yes, Pope Leo is from Chicago; he also has Black ancestors
Since news of the new pope, Robert Prevost, who assumed the name Leo XIV, hit the wires, he has been universally celebrated as being an American from Chicago.