The pope’s grandparents were considered Black or people of color

“This discovery is just an additional reminder of how interwoven we are as Americans,” New Orleans genealogist Jari C. Honora told The New York Times in a text message Thursday night. “I hope that it will highlight the long history of Black Catholics, both free and enslaved, in this country, which includes the Holy Father’s family.”

According to vital records, the pope’s maternal grandparents, Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquié, were listed as Black or mulatto and lived in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward. This neighborhood is traditionally Catholic, with people having a mixture of African, Caribbean, and European roots.

The couple later moved to Chicago in the early 20th century, where they had a daughter, Mildred Martinez — the pope’s mother — in 1912, according to The New York Times.

The Prevost family didn’t identify as Black

Honora, who works at the Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum in the French Quarter, said the couple’s 1887 marriage certificate, a photo of the Martinez family grave marker in Chicago and a digital copy of their daughter’s birth record confirmed the pope’s ancestry.

He added that he was inspired to research the pope after recognizing his last name — Prevost, a French surname — and learning more about his family, particularly his maternal grandparents and their Southern roots.

The pope’s brother, John Prevost, 71, also confirmed the family’s background to The New York Times. While it’s unclear whether the pope has ever publicly addressed his Creole heritage, John said the family has never identified as Black. However, Honora’s additional finding proved that their maternal grandparents were people of color.

More lineage details

A copy of Mildred’s birth record and a 1900 Census has Martinez listed as a “Black” man, with his birthplace in the Dominican Republic or “Hayti,” the archaic name for Haiti or the Island of Hispaniola, and his occupation as a “cigar maker.” Meanwhile, Mildred’s mother, listed as “Louis Baquiex,” has New Orleans listed as her birthplace; both places have a history of Black and mixed heritage.

“Both Joseph Norval Martinez and Louise Baquié were people of color, no doubt about it,” Honora said, according to The New York Times.

The Seventh Ward, where the couple married and lived for some time, has a rich Afro-Creole culture that has deep roots in other parts of the world.

According to Britannica, Creoles are people of European (French or Spanish) and African descent born in the West Indies or parts of French or Spanish America, and are naturalized in those regions rather than in their parents’ home country.

While the uncovered information confirms the pope’s maternal family lineage, his brother John stated that their paternal grandparents were from France and their father grew up in the United States. However, the pair never discussed their Creole heritage, according to The New York Times.

In addition to his family ties, the pope’s oldest brother Louis Prevost spoke out about his brother’s newly appointed position and said he knew his brother would become something “special.”

“It’s incredible. It’s awesome. I just hope others here and overseas don’t turn political,” he told NBC 6 South Florida. “‘Oh, he’s American, he’s gonna screw the church up’ — hopefully that doesn’t happen and keep the nationalism out of it and let’s just be the Catholic Church.”