Pope Leo received an official copy of his family tree, which includes his ties to "free people of color" in New Orleans.

When Henry Louis Gates Jr. set out to trace the family tree of America's first pope, he had no idea he was about to uncover ...

Pope Leo XIV got a special visit from Finding Your Roots writer, host and executive producer Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., to ...

But beyond the celeb connections, Gates’ research uncovered something far more powerful: Pope Leo XIV is of mixed Black and ...

Pope Leo XIV’s Creole and African ancestry, traced to Louisiana and West Africa, is prompting celebration and curiosity among ...

Henry Louis Gates Jr., who hosts 'Finding Your Roots' on PBS, confirmed Pope Leo XIV is related to Madonna, Angelina Jolie, ...

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8. Since news of the new pope, Robert Prevost, who assumed the name Leo XIV, hit the wires ...

Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago-born man who became Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, has Black family roots in New Orleans, Louisiana, records show. ABC News has obtained several records, including U ...

It is unclear if Leo has publicly discussed this aspect of his identity. Still, Black Catholics and Black Americans have reacted with excitement and joy at the revelation of the pope’s ancestry ...

Gibson said the pope’s Black ancestry feels like a reminder that he, too, belongs, in a church where just 4% of Catholics in the U.S. are Black. ... “Through Pope Leo, ...

We are thrilled to welcome Pope Leo XIV, who embodies morality, unity, and inclusivity.” Genealogists continue to dig into the pope’s records to find out more information about his ancestry.

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. But he’s ...