On Thursday May 8, 2025, Robert Prevost, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, became Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church. With both Peruvian and American citizenships, he became the first American to be elected Pope. Now,in recent reports and based on historical official document records, it was found that he has Black African ancestry. Hence, he will be the first know Pope of Black descent. With such a diverse descent, the reach and influence of Pope Leo XIV is expected to be more than historical.
Robert Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955. He was ordained a priest in 1982 and served in Peru, but also kept tight links with his American Catholic community in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is both an American and a Peruvian citizen.
He spent 10 years as a local parish pastor and was a teacher at a seminary in Trujillo, Peru. He was created Cardinal in 2023 by Pope Francis (see Vatican: Robert Prevost, former Cardinal and Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru and American Citizen, to Serve as Pope Leo XIV)
He has worldwide experience and connections, with recorded trips around the World, especially in Africa in years 2000s. In February 2009, Pope Leo XIV, , then Priest Robert Prevost and Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) visited the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), including the capital Kinshasa and the Bas-Uele Province, and inaugurated the Saint Augustin University. DR Congo was then going through recurrent humanitarian tragedies. Hence, the 2008 - 2009 peace process negotiations in Rome between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the National Democratic Congress, a Rwandan political organization (NDC) composed of RUD-Urunana and RPR-Inkeragutabara, were in progress to find a way to stop the repeated invasions by Rwandan defense forces under the cover of puppet militia and rebels.
The peace process was mediated by the current Bologna Archbishop Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, then a Father leading the Sant'Egidio Community and backed and cosigned by the European Union, the World Bank, Southern African Development Community (SADC), United Nations Peace Keeping Mission in DRC (MONUSCO), OCHA, UNHCR, South-Africa government, SIK-Norway, and the Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC) (see here: Russia-Ukraine: Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Facilitator of DR Congo Government and Rwandan NDC Leaders Rome-Kisangani Process, Soon Expected in Russia and Ukraine.).
He has also visited Kenya several times, with the last time in December 2024, when led the ceremony to dedicate the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Counsel at the Augustinian Monastery in Karen, Nairobi, on December 10, 2024
Now, according to official records from the US Census, and other government sources, it is has been confirmed that Pope Leo XIV is of Black African descent.
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Is Pope Leo XIV from Black African Descent?
Based on these US official documents dating from more than hundred years ago, the maternal grandparents of Pope Leo XIV, Louise Baquié and Joseph Martinez are recorded as Black or mulatto, a mixed Black and white parents.
The US official records, including marriage licenses, show that Joseph Martinez, the maternal grand father of Pope Leo XIV, was born in Haiti whereas Louise Baquié, the maternal grandmother, was born in New Orleans, both from Black ancestry. Haiti's population is 95% black, mostly the descendant from enslaved Africans brought to the island since 1492. The remaining 5% are white or mixed who were labelled as mulatto in the past.
In the 1900 U.S. Census records, the maternal grandparents and two aunts of Pope Leo XIV , Irma and Margaret, are recorded as "B" which means Black.
Between 1850 and 1900, during the US Census, the race or color was recorded in a column. At the beginning the column indicated the color. It was left blank if a person was white, marked "B" if a person was black, and marked "M" if a person was mulatto. Progressively, the color was used to record the "race", with the options of "Black", "White", "Mulatto", "Quadroon", "Octoroon", "Chinese", "Japanese", or "Indian". Then "Mulatto" was removed and moved to "Black".
By 1920, the parents of Pope Leo XIV were living in Chicago, following the move from Louisiana. The 1920 U.S. Census recorded all the family members, including the pope’s mother, Mildred as "W" or white.
Several researchers are still digging to find the true story behind the racial heritage of Pope Leo XIV.
@AfroAmerica Network 2025
