Pope Leo XIV received a copy of his family tree from Henry Louis Gates Jr., marking his first public acknowledgment of his Black ancestry.

When Henry Louis Gates Jr. set out to trace the family tree of America's first pope, he had no idea he was about to uncover ...

Pope Leo XIV got a special visit from Finding Your Roots writer, host and executive producer Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr ., to ...

Pope Leo XIV, who made history as the first American pope when he was elected in May 2025, is connected to several famous names across politics and entertainment, including pop icons like Madonna ...

Pope Leo XIV's ancestry is largely Creole, with deep roots in New Orleans, but he also possesses French, Spanish, and Italian heritage.

While the findings were presented with humor online, Gates’ research continues to highlight the unexpected ways that ancestry can connect figures across faith, politics and entertainment.

The newly appointed Pope Leo XIV has several star studded branches on his family tree.

Pope Leo's ancestry puts a spotlight on Black Catholics Honora’s discovery put a spotlight on Black Catholics, said Father Stephen Thorne, a consultant with the National Black Catholic Congress.

New genealogical research traces the Pope’s ancestry back to the 1500s, revealing what Harvard historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. calls ‘one of the most diverse family trees’ he’s ever come ...