Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born leader of the Catholic Church, has roots that reveal a complex narrative of race and heritage in America. Genealogical research shows his maternal grandfather was born in Santo Domingo and listed Haiti as his birthplace on marriage records. His grandmother was born in New Orleans, and census data indicates both were identified as Black, set against the backdrop of early 20th-century racial segregation. This familial history underscores the multifaceted nature of identity within a nation known as a melting pot, revealing deeper societal issues that persist today.
"When Leo's grandfather, Joseph Martinez, obtained an 1887 marriage license to wed the future pope's grandmother, Louise Baquie, he listed his birthplace as Haiti."
"Those same census records identified Leo's maternal grandparents as Black. Two of his aunts were similarly identified, just about four years after the Plessy v Ferguson US supreme court case upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation in the country."
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