The Associated Press: “Pope Leo XIV becomes the first pope in history to vote in a U.S. election, submitting a mail-in ballot in Chicago ahead of the midterms.”
[…] The relationship between #Pope #LeoXIV and Donald Trump is strained and publicly contentious—generally poor rather than good. It features sharp mutual criticism, particularly on foreign policy (especially war) and immigration, with the first American-born pope often positioning the Vatican as a moral counterweight to Trump’s approach. This is an unusual dynamic, as both are Americans of roughly the same generation […] #PopeLeoXIV (born Robert Francis #Prevost in #Chicago, #Illinois, on September 14, 1955) was elected on May 8, 2025, succeeding Francis. He is the first U.S.-born pope, an Augustinian with dual U.S.-Peruvian citizenship and extensive missionary experience in #Peru. Trump initially welcomed the election (“What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country”), but the two have not met as of late 2026 reports. Vice President JD Vance attended the inauguration. Tensions rose as Leo’s comments on U.S. policy grew more pointed after an initially more reserved start […] Immigration and migrant treatment: Leo has repeatedly criticized Trump administration policies on mass deportation, raids, and treatment of long-term residents. He described aspects as “inhuman” and “extremely disrespectful,” backed U.S. bishops’ statements condemning the crackdown and “vilification” of migrants, and questioned whether support for such treatment is compatible with being “pro-life.” He has stressed Gospel teachings on welcoming the foreigner (e.g., Matthew 25), the need for due process and humane treatment, pastoral care for detainees, and “legal and safe pathways.” He has acknowledged countries’ rights to control borders but criticized the methods and human impact. These comments drew pushback from the White House and some conservative Catholics; they also appear to influence Leo’s U.S. bishop appointments. As recently as late October 2026, Chicago-area Catholics met him regarding access to detained migrants […] Pope Leo XIV has African American roots, specifically stemming from Louisiana’s historic Creole community of color. While he was born in Chicago and was raised identifying publicly as white, genealogical research conducted shortly after his May 2025 election revealed a rich, multiracial ancestry that connects him to Black Catholic history in the United States […] His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was of French and Italian descent. His mother, Mildred Martínez, was born in Chicago after her family migrated north […] Maternal side (Creole/Black roots): His mother Mildred was born in Chicago (around 1911–1912) and listed as white on records. Her parents (the pope’s maternal grandparents) were Joseph Martinez (also rendered Norval or similar; born around 1864 in the #SantoDomingo/#Haiti/#DominicanRepublic area of Hispaniola—census and other records vary between “Hayti,” Santo Domingo, etc.; worked as a cigar maker) and Louise Baquié (or Baquiex; born around 1868 in New Orleans). They married in 1887 in New Orleans and lived in the city’s historically Creole Seventh Ward. In the 1900 U.S. Census (and other early records), they and their older children were listed as Black or mulatto. All four of the pope’s maternal great-grandparents were free people of color in Louisiana. Further back, genealogists have identified at least 17 maternal ancestors described in records with terms such as mulatto, mulatress, free person of color, or quadroon (indicating mixed African and European, primarily French/Spanish, ancestry, typical of Louisiana Creoles of color). Some ancestors were both enslaved people and slaveholders; the lineage includes free people of color with ties to Louisiana’s colonial French/Spanish history and African heritage. There are also broader European (French, Spanish, Italian) and Caribbean connections on the maternal side […] The family migrated from New Orleans to Chicago around 1910–1912 (part of broader Southern migration patterns). After that, they were listed as white in the 1920 census and subsequent records—a form of “passing” that was not uncommon for light-skinned Creoles of color seeking to avoid discrimination […] His brother John Prevost confirmed the genealogical records to media outlets. He stated that the family knew of connections to New Orleans/Haiti but “never discussed” racial matters much, always identified as white, and “did not identify as Black.” “It was never an issue,” he said […] In a July 2026 interview with NBC News (Tom Llamas), Pope Leo XIV publicly addressed the history for the first time on camera. He said: “I come from a family that my grandparents were immigrants. On my mother’s side, we have people who were both slaves and slave owners.” He linked this complex background to America’s history of immigration, freedom, opportunity, and diversity, describing such experiences as “one of the greatest wealths of the United States” […]
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