Not Irish or Italian ancestry: These are the surprising roots of Pope Leo XIV

69-year-old Cardinal Robert Prevost, became the first person from the United States to be elected Pope on Thursday evening after a two day Conclave (and four rounds of voting) was held to determine a successor for Pope Francis who passed away at the end of April.

Prevost selected the name Pope Leo XIV and his first message from St. Peter’s Basilica focused on global harmony as conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and now India/Pakistan reign: “May my greeting of peace reach the whole Earth”.

Over a hundred thousand people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to greet Pope Leo on Thursday evening and on Friday morning, the new pontiff held his first mass in the new role.

Chicago native with Creole roots

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost has become a key figure in the Church having combined pastoral work with administrative leadership. At 69, he is known for his positive and calm demeanor with a centrist approach that helped build broad support for his candidacy.

In 1985, Prevost was sent to Peru, where he began a transformative chapter of his life and his understanding of the region and fluency in Spanish—and other languages—allowed him to form lasting connections with local communities.

According to reports, Prevost’s maternal grandparents, Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquié, lived in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, a historically Catholic neighborhood with a mix of African, Caribbean, and European heritage.

Census records from 1900 reportedly claim that they moved to Chicago, where Pope Leo XIV’s mother, Mildred Martinez, was born.

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