The pope's Creole roots in New Orleans are a source of pride among the city's Black Catholics. But the revelation also recalls a painful chapter in the city's past. “In New Orleans, everyone treats visitors as family.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to reflect new information and reporting. The very nature of the internet means we were probably always going to see the announcement of Robert Francis ...

The revelation that Pope Leo XIV has Louisiana Creole roots shines a light on a community of Catholics that has shaped New Orleans, from a famous Voodoo priestess to the self-proclaimed inventor of jazz.

The world is still adjusting to the historic election of Pope Leo XIV—the first American Pope and a native of the Chicago area—but new revelations about his ancestry are drawing attention far beyond the Vatican.

While Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, Illinois, records show that his family lineage has deep roots in Louisiana.