Pope’s Genealogical Ties to American Creoles

The discovery that Pope Leo XIV descends in part from New Orleans Creoles has sparked both interest and delight, marking him as the first pope originating from the United States.

Following the passing of his father, ex-teacher Mark Charles Roudané from Minnesota embarked on the daunting task of sorting through his father's extensive collection of documents. These papers documented a life led as a successful white Presbyterian businessman based in the Midwest.

The plethora of files were meticulously labeled, with one exception. At age 55, Mr. Roudané opened the sole untitled folder to find information about Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez.

Dr. Roudanez was a prominent New Orleans physician and a pioneer in the establishment of two of the nation’s first Black-owned newspapers, and he was also the great-great-grandfather of Mr. Roudané.

“It completely transformed my understanding of who I am in an instant.”

The announcement that Robert Francis Prevost, a cardinal with Chicago roots who became known as Pope Leo XIV, had New Orleans Creole ancestry, has resonated deeply with individuals sharing similar heritages. The pope’s immediate kin acknowledged their identity as white, yet records from an earlier generation in New Orleans depict his maternal grandparents as 'mulatto' or Black, unveiling an aspect of Creole identity that surprises many outsiders but appears quite natural to those familiar with it.

“When people from outside New Orleans see me, they perceive me as white,” explained Mr. Roudané, now 73, referring to the idea of 'street race'—the racial identity others assume based on appearance. “But in New Orleans, people recognize where I’m truly from.”