Pope Leo XIV shares blood ties with Justin Bieber, Madonna, and Hillary Clinton, revealing an astonishing multicultural heritage that includes both slaveholders and the enslaved across four continents.
Key Takeaways
- Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, has been revealed to be a distant cousin to celebrities including Madonna, Justin Bieber, and Angelina Jolie through shared ancestry traced back to 16th-century Quebec.
- His diverse lineage spans multiple continents with ancestors from France, Italy, Spain, the U.S., Cuba, Canada, Haiti, and Guadeloupe, including African-American roots through a grandfather born to African-American parents in Haiti.
- The genealogical investigation, led by Henry Louis Gates Jr., also uncovered connections to political figures, including Hillary Clinton and Canadian Prime Ministers Pierre and Justin Trudeau.
- Formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, he became the 267th pope on May 9, 2025, succeeding Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.
- His heritage includes a complex family history of enslaved people, slaveowners, freedom fighters, and noblemen, highlighting the interconnectedness of human history.
Celebrity Connections Through Ancient Quebecois Roots
Henry Louis Gates Jr., renowned for his PBS series “Finding Your Roots,” has uncovered remarkable connections in Pope Leo XIV’s family tree that have stunned the world. The genealogical study traces the pontiff’s lineage back to a Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpré from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, establishing him as a “ninth cousin, various times removed” to pop icons Madonna and Justin Bieber. This same ancestral line connects the religious leader to Hollywood star Angelina Jolie and political figures, including Hillary Clinton and the Trudeau family of Canada.
“The Pope’s ancestry is a rich tapestry of global migration, cultural fusion, and resilience,” said Brenton Simons, genealogist involved in the research project.
The investigation, conducted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. in collaboration with genealogists from the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami and American Ancestors, has meticulously documented these connections. What makes this discovery particularly noteworthy is how it illustrates the unexpected ways in which human histories intertwine across seemingly disparate fields such as entertainment, politics, and religion. Literary icon Jack Kerouac also appears in this sprawling family network, further emphasizing the cultural breadth of the Pope’s extended family tree.
A Multicultural Heritage Spanning Four Continents
Pope Leo XIV’s lineage tells a fascinating story of global migration, with ancestral roots reaching across Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. Born in Chicago, the pontiff’s family history includes ancestors from France, Italy, Spain, the United States, Cuba, Canada, Haiti, and Guadeloupe. This multicultural heritage reflects the complex patterns of human movement throughout history, particularly during the colonial era of the Americas. Most notably, the research revealed significant African-American ancestry, with a grandfather born to African-American parents in Haiti.
“‘Like A Prayer’ hits different when you find out the Pope is related to Madonna,” remarked Henry Louis Gates Jr., host of PBS series “Finding Your Roots”.
The genealogical study uncovered that Pope Leo XIV has at least 17 black relatives, including his Haitian grandfather. Perhaps most striking is the complex moral dimensions of his ancestry, which includes both enslaved people and slaveholders. This revelation presents a profound reminder of the complicated histories that many families carry, where oppressors and the oppressed can exist within the same lineage. President Trump has not yet commented on these findings, though many conservative Catholics have embraced this diverse heritage as a testament to the universal nature of the Church.
Historical Significance of America’s First Pope
Pope Leo XIV made history on May 9, 2025, when he became the 267th pontiff and the first from North America. Formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, he succeeded Pope Francis following a relatively swift conclave after Francis’s death on April 21. As the first American pope, his election represents a significant shift in the geographical center of Catholic leadership, which has been predominantly European throughout the Church’s history. The revelation of his diverse heritage adds another layer of historical significance to his papacy.
The New York Times described Pope Leo XIV and his celebrity relations as “ninth cousin, various times removed” in their extensive coverage of the genealogical findings.
Born in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV has already made headlines for his strong anti-war messages since assuming the papacy. While his surprising connections to celebrities have captured public imagination, the deeper significance lies in how his lineage embodies the interconnectedness of human history. His family story – with branches extending to freedom fighters and noblemen alongside the more complex legacy of slavery – mirrors the Catholic Church’s complicated historical role across continents and cultures, making him a uniquely positioned pontiff for our global age.
