The fascinating family tree of Pope Leo XIV

When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV on May 8, the world was eager to learn more about the new pontiff. What kind of man had just stepped onto the world stage? And what stories lie in his past?

Thanks to modern genealogical research — and the tools of digital technology — we now know: quite a few remarkable ones.

Within hours of his election, genealogists working with The New York Times uncovered a compelling fact: Pope Leo XIV has African American ancestry. His maternal grandparents, residents of New Orleans' historically vibrant Seventh Ward, were described in historical records as “Black” and “mulatto.”

This revelation opened the door to a far-reaching genealogical journey. With help from experts at American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, more than 100 ancestors have been traced across 15 generations — one of the most diverse family trees ever documented for a global leader.

The Pope’s maternal lineage reaches all the way back to 16th-century Spain, where four of his ancestors were listed as hidalgos — minor noblemen. One descendant, Diego de Arana Valladar, was a naval captain who fought off Dutch privateers. His son later served in Panama in the Spanish military.

This same family line includes Antonio José de Sucre, the hero of the Battle of Ayacucho and the first constitutionally elected President of Bolivia — a close ally of Simón Bolívar.

Eventually, this line settled in Cuba, where they remained for generations before migrating to the U.S.

On the paternal side, the Pope’s story shifts to Sicily, where his grandfather, Salvatore Riggitano Alito, was on track for the priesthood. But Providence had other plans. After immigrating to the U.S., Salvatore began a relationship with Suzanne Louise Marie Fontaine, a French immigrant. Their two sons, born out of wedlock, were given their grandmother’s surname: Prevost.

So, although his paternal roots are almost entirely Italian, the Pope carries a French surname — a nod to the complex nature of family and identity.

Through his French Canadian ancestry, Pope Leo XIV shares distant ties with some rather famous names, including Pierre and Justin Trudeau, Angelina Jolie, Justin Bieber, Hillary Clinton, Jack Kerouac, and Madonna.

Many of these ancestors came from Quebec, settling there in the mid-1600s before gradually making their way to the U.S. — particularly New Orleans, where cultures and peoples from all over the globe have long converged.

In fact his family tree reads like a map of the Americas — woven together by conquest, migration, freedom, and faith.

What makes this story especially compelling is the Pope’s deep roots in African American history. Among his forebears are people who were enslaved, as well as some who were slave owners — including African Americans who themselves came to own enslaved people, a painful and little-known facet of American history.

His fifth-great-grandmother, Marie Louise, was born into slavery but became a landowner in Opelousas, Louisiana. Her descendants — among them the Pope’s own ancestors — continued to acquire land and, in some cases, enslaved people. Another ancestor, Marie Jeanne, was eventually manumitted and went on to own over 1,000 acres and at least 20 slaves.

While these realities are difficult, they are not unique. They reflect the broader historical complexity of race, status, and identity in 18th- and 19th-century Louisiana, where social class was often shaped not just by color, but by wealth, proximity to colonial power, and even appearance.

Perhaps the most moving part of this entire discovery is how modern technology allows us to see it. With digitized records, DNA testing, and global collaboration, it’s now possible to connect the dots between individuals and eras, weaving together a family story that once lay buried in dusty archives.

For Pope Leo XIV, this genealogy is more than a list of names and dates. It’s a living reflection of America’s own story: diverse, conflicted, hopeful, and deeply interconnected.

Pope Leo XIV’s roots span continents and cultures. He is the descendant of Spanish hidalgos, French Canadian pioneers, Cuban settlers, Italian immigrants, and African American survivors.

He stands at the crossroads of old worlds and new. And in doing so, he mirrors the journey of so many in our modern world — reminding us that history is not distant or dry, but deeply human.

As the New York Times article concluded:

If you'd like to read the full article from the New York Times by Henry Louis Gates Jr., which includes the more intricate details of the pope's fascinating family tree, click here. It's important to note that the details were accurate at the time of publishing.