Pope Leo XIV has some famous cousins!
The religious figure is reportedly related to more than one iconic celebrity, dating back to the 1950s, with records to support their connection.
In a shocking revelation, Pope Leo XIV's familial ties were connected to the legendary singer Madonna through distant maternal relations.
Pope Leo XIV Reportedly Has Strong Canadian Roots
As confirmed by Henry Louis Gates Jr., not only is the Pope Madonna's ninth cousin, buthe is also related to several Canadian celebrities through their great-grand-Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpre, born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
His newly confirmed relatives now include Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, Pierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau, and Jack Kerouac.
When the relationship between him and Madonna was ascertained, the "Like A Prayer" singer embraced her new sibling with open arms by uploading him on her Instagram Story, tagging him her "distant relative."
According to The Daily Mail, the two also share a background history of being raised as Catholics, although Madonna became defiant and even had a clash with the church for over three decades.
Madonna's Troubled History With The Catholic Church
The singer and the catholic church first got into a feud in the church in 1989 when she released a music video for her hit song, "Like A Prayer." In the video, Madonna displayed images of burning crosses and also portrayed Jesus in a sexually suggestive manner.
Reacting to her controversial move, Pope John Paul II at the time urged fans worldwide to boycott the singer in Italy and also to refuse to attend her Blond Ambition tour in 1990.
In 2006, the singer struck again by staging a fake crucifixion during one of her concerts in Rome. Her action led Cardinal Ersilio Tonino, by Pope Benedict XVI's directive, to call for her to be "excommunicated" from the church.
The team noted that she went too far with her stunts and described the concert as a "blasphemous challenge to the faith and a profanation of the cross."
She was also met with disapproval during one of her performances in Italy during her "Who's That Girl Tour" in 1987, as well as during her endorsement with Pepsi in 1989 and in her first book, Sex, which she published in 1992.
In December 2024, she sparked vehement criticism once again by distributing AI-generated images of herself alongside Pope Francis. The forged images depicted the Pope as appearing to be getting handsy with her since he had his arm around her waist, and his face was just inches away from hers.
Two years ago, she also tweeted to Pope Francis, requesting a meeting with him to talk about some pivotal questions bordering on her blasphemous conduct.
The Pope Battled Allegations Of Turning A Deaf Ear To Child Sex Crimes
Since emerging as the new Pope, The Blast affirmed that he has also experienced his first share of office controversy. According to his accusers, he completely ignored cries for help regarding sexual abuse crimes during his time heading the church in the United States and Peru.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and other advocacy organizations conveyed deep concern over how Pope Leo XIV had previously handled abuse cases under his leadership.
The national vice president of the association and a victim of clergy abuse, Lopez de Casas, claimed the grave offense of the newly elected leader had been escalated to the cardinals who were responsible for his emergence.
Following this development, Pope Leo would have to deal with a lifetime of close monitoring from the 135 cardinals. Casas noted that it is a helpful way for victims to know they are not alone.
"Staying silent is a sin. It's not what God wants us to do. Jesus wants us to stop these things, not to make a healthy garden for secular abuse to grow," Casas reiterated.
The Catholic Leader Sought Unity In His First Speech As Head Of The Papacy
History was made on May 8, 2025, when Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the Pope to replace the late Pope Francis. He is also the first American to hold a prestigious post in the Catholic Church.
Following his confirmation, the Pope addressed the teeming crowd at Vatican City and viewers worldwide for the first time ever. He thanked the cardinals and everyone who voted for him to emerge as the "Successor of Peter" and walk together with the church as a united force.
"Searching all together for peace and justice, working together and women and men, faithful to Jesus Christ without fear, proclaiming Christ to be missionaries, faithful to the gospel," Pope Leo declared.
He displayed his expansive vocabulary by switching between Spanish and Italian before finally concluding his address to the crowd and saying:
"To all you brothers and sisters of Rome, Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal church, walking and always seeking peace, charity, closeness, especially to those who are suffering…We ask for this special grace from Mary, our mother. Hail Mary."
President Donald Trump Described Pope Leo's Emergence As An Honor To America
Reacting to the Pope's significant election by the 135 cardinals, Trump expressed his excitement with a show of enthusiasm publicly.The Blast reported that the president posted his thoughts via a social media post.
He congratulated the Prevost, reiterating that he sealed his name in the sands of time by becoming the first American to head the catholic church, as against the common tradition of Italians.
"I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" Trump concluded in his congratulatory post.
Pope Leo was born in Chicago, where he also started his spiritual and religious journey. He is also a dual citizen in the United States and Peru, where he previously served before being appointed as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in 2023.
Will more famous family members of Pope Leo XIV surface?
