While Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, Illinois, records show that his family lineage has deep roots in Louisiana.

In prior interviews, Pope Leo XIV said he was open to a vocation to the priesthood because neighborhood priests were always in and out of his childhood, as his mother often fed them. "Now we know why her cooking was so good— both her mother and father were from New Orleans.

When Father Tony Ricard watched the new pope deliver his first address to the faithful Thursday in St. Peter’s Square, he felt an instant kinship.

In an interview with Louisiana Considered, Jari Honora, a family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, shares what he uncovered about the pope’s Louisiana lineage.

The pope's Creole roots in New Orleans are a source of pride among the city's Black Catholics. But the revelation also recalls a painful chapter in the city's past. “In New Orleans, everyone treats visitors as family.

Pope Leo XIV's family tree reflects America's complex racial history, according to records obtained by ABC News.

The world is still adjusting to the historic election of Pope Leo XIV—the first American Pope and a native of the Chicago area—but new revelations about his ancestry are drawing attention far beyond the Vatican.

When [Pope Leo] came to the balcony, I looked up, and I was like, ‘That dude looks like he could be my brother,” a New Orleans priest said.

Repelled by American racism, thousands of free people of color bounced between New Orleans and Haiti in the 19th century.

Today on Louisiana Considered, we hear about the new pope’s Creole heritage and family ties to New Orleans. We also learn about plans to build an LNG plant in Cameron Parish and check in with former Tulane President Scott Cowen,