Yes, **Pope Leo XIV** has documented African ancestry.
A comprehensive genealogical study published in June 2025 by Harvard scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., in collaboration with American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, traced Pope Leo XIV’s family tree across four continents. The study revealed that he has deep roots in the **Louisiana Creole of color** community.
Specifically, the research found:
* **Maternal Grandparents:** His mother, Mildred Martínez, was born to a Creole family from New Orleans’ historic 7th Ward. His maternal grandparents, Joseph Martínez and Louise Baquié, were both identified in early 20th-century U.S. records (such as the 1900 census) as "Black" or "mulatto."
* **Colonial Roots:** At least 17 of his maternal ancestors in Louisiana are documented as having Black African heritage, with historical records using terms of the era such as *free person of color*, *mulatto*, and *quadroon*.
His overall heritage is a rich, complex global tapestry that also includes Italian (Sicilian), French, Spanish, and Cuban lineages.
### A Historical Note on the Early Church
While Pope Leo XIV is the first modern pope with documented, traceable African-American and Afro-Caribbean roots, the Catholic Church has a ancient history tied to the African continent. In the early centuries of Christianity, there were **three popes from North Africa** (the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis, modern-day Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria):
1. **Pope St. Victor I** (189–199 AD) – The first pope born on the African continent, famous for standardizing the celebration of Easter on Sundays and introducing Latin into the Roman liturgy.
2. **Pope St. Miltiades** (311–314 AD) – Led the Church when the Emperor Constantine ended the Roman persecution of Christians.
3. **Pope St. Gelasius I** (492–496 AD) – Born in Rome to African parents, renowned for his theological writings and his fierce advocacy for the poor.
Because the concept of modern racial categories did not exist in the Roman Empire, ancient records focused on geographic origin and Roman citizenship rather than skin tone or racial background. However, they are historically recognized and celebrated as the three African popes of antiquity. - Gemini
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