Pope Leo XIV’s family history shows deep ties to New Orleans

INVESTIGATION. PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL. WELL, A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM THE NEW AMERICAN PONTIFF NOW IN CHARGE OF LEADING CATHOLICS AROUND THE WORLD. AND IN TRUE AMERICAN FASHION, WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT POPE LEO’S CONNECTION TO ALL THESE CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND INCLUDING OUR OWN RIGHT HERE IN OUR AREA. LISTEN, WHEN POPE LEO THE 14TH EMERGED FROM THE BALCONY, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYBODY IN THE SEVENTH WARD LEANED IN. THEY LOOKED CLOSE AT THE SCREEN LIKE THEY WERE SEEING A DISTANT COUSIN, AND IT TURNED OUT THEY WERE WDSU’S. JONAH GILMORE IS LIVE TO EXPLAIN THE POPE’S BLACK CREOLE ANCESTRY AND HIS DEEP NEW ORLEANS ROOTS. JONAH. JENA, POPE LEO 14 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND JOY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND HERE AT HOME, LOCALS ARE SINGING THE PRAISES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AS THE MAN ELECTED TO LEAD. IT HAS DEEP ROOTS HERE IN NEW ORLEANS. THE FACT THAT HE COMES FROM OUR LOCAL CREOLE COMMUNITY, IT’S JUST REALLY, REALLY THRILLING. IN A CITY ENTRENCHED IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, NEWS THAT POPE LEO HAS DEEP ROOTS IN NEW ORLEANS SENT SHOCK WAVES. IT’S JUST REALLY, REALLY EXCITING TO KNOW THAT THE POPE IS A HOMEBOY, PER SE, THAT HE HE HAS DEEP NEW ORLEANS ROOTS. GENEALOGIST GERRY HONORÉ WATCHED AS WHITE SMOKE BILLOWED, SIGNALING A NEW POPE. AS SOON AS HE HEARD THE NAME ROBERT PREVOST, HE BEGAN UNCOVERING THE POPE’S FAMILY HISTORY IN THE CRESCENT CITY. AND IN 1900. IT SHOWS THE MARTINEZ FAMILY, JOSEPH AND LOUISE, AND THEIR OLDEST CHILDREN LIVING AT 1533 PEARSE STREET. THE POPE’S MOTHER, MILDRED MARTINEZ, WAS BORN IN CHICAGO IN 1912, BUT SHE WAS THE FIRST CHILD OF HER PARENTS NOT BORN IN NEW ORLEANS. SINCE HIS DATA SHOWS THE POPE’S GRANDPARENTS MARRIED AT OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART CHURCH ON ANNETTE STREET IN 1887 AND LIVED IN THE SEVENTH WARD UNTIL THEY LEFT FOR CHICAGO. IT MAKES HIM A UNIVERSAL PERSON. HE’S AN AMERICAN WHOSE MINISTRY WAS IN PERU, WHO HAS ROOTS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH, AND ALSO ANCESTRY IN THE AMERICAN BLACK COMMUNITY. THAT DATA ALSO SHOWS THE POPE’S FAMILY HAD TIES TO HAITI AND WERE CONSIDERED PEOPLE OF COLOR. THE HOLY FATHER’S ANCESTORS ARE IDENTIFIED AS EITHER BLACK OR MULATTO. PEOPLE SAY THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD SEE AN AMERICAN POPE, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH DEEP TIES TO THE SOUTH. IT’S VERY COOL TO SEE HIM BE REPRESENTED IN HIS NEW ORLEANS GENEALOGY AND HIS LINEAGE FROM HERE, AS THE POPE ASSUMES HIS NEW ROLE, PEOPLE FROM NEW ORLEANS SAY THEY’RE MORE INVESTED TO LEARN ABOUT THE MAN WHO NOW LEADS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. MY INTEREST IS PIQUED NOW, AND I’M DEFINITELY GOING TO GOING TO CONTINUE TO RESEARCH. HONORÉ TELLS ME THE INFORMATION THAT HE DID FIND WAS ON PUBLIC WEBSITES, AND HE PLANS TO USE HIS RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER. REPORTING LIVE IN THE FRENCH QUARTE

Pope Leo XIV’s family history shows deep ties to New Orleans

The first American Pope has a family history with deep ties to New Orleans. Robert Prevost, who has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV, was elected as the next pontiff on Thursday following a two-day conclave. According to New Orleans historian Jari Christopher Honora, Pope Leo has Creole roots on his mother’s side. His mother is Mildred Martinez. The Martinez family has a New Orleans history dating back to the 1800s. They lived in the Seventh Ward. In 1910, the Martinez family left New Orleans and went to Chicago, where Prevost was born. Prevost’s mother was the first in her family who was not born in New Orleans. Prevost’s grandparents were married in 1887 at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Annette Street.

NEW ORLEANS —

The first American Pope has a family history with deep ties to New Orleans.

Robert Prevost, who has chosen the name Pope Leo XIV, was elected as the next pontiff on Thursday following a two-day conclave.

According to New Orleans historian Jari Christopher Honora, Pope Leo has Creole roots on his mother’s side.

His mother is Mildred Martinez. The Martinez family has a New Orleans history dating back to the 1800s. They lived in the Seventh Ward.

In 1910, the Martinez family left New Orleans and went to Chicago, where Prevost was born.

Prevost’s mother was the first in her family who was not born in New Orleans.

Prevost’s grandparents were married in 1887 at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Annette Street.