Behind the Scenes

Video: How A Historian Discovered Pope Leo XIV’s New Orleans Roots

July 5, 2025

Get a look behind-the-scenes at how HNOC Family Historian Jari Honora uncovered the family history of Catholicism’s new pontiff.

Shortly after Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the first American pope, HNOC’s Jari C. Honora was the first historian to uncover an unexpected New Orleans connection, identifying the pontiff’s maternal grandparents to be Creoles of color from the Seventh Ward. Honora’s discovery quickly made international headlines as news of the Pope’s Creole heritage spread around the globe.

HNOC’s new video gives a look behind-the-scenes at Honora’s research, tracing the pope’s lineage while highlighting the vibrant Creole heritage of New Orleans’s Seventh Ward neighborhood.

Watch: How A Historian Discovered Pope Leo XIV’s New Orleans Roots

Jari Honora, HNOC family historian, explains how he made the surprising discovery about Pope Leo XIV’s New Orleans Creole roots. Video produced by Xiomara Blanco, HNOC

To learn more about Jari's discovery read our companion First Draft post, From the French Quarter to the Vatican, in addition to news articles reporting on the story, below.

First Draft

From the French Quarter to the Vatican

Shortly after Robert Francis Prevost was announced as the first American pope, HNOC’s Jari C. Honora uncovered a surprising New Orleans connection, revealing the pontiff’s maternal grandparents to be Creoles of color from the Seventh Ward.

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A boy in white lay garments leads a church procession down the street, followed by other boys in white lay garments wearing crucifixes and holding chalices.

HNOC in the News

NPR: Why Black Catholics in New Orleans Feel a Special Connection to Pope Leo XIV

June 5, 2025

HNOC family historian Jari Honora spoke with “All Things Considered” about the new pope’s Creole ancestry and what it means for residents of the 7th Ward.

A screen capture of HNOC historian Jari Honora appearing on CBS Mornings.

HNOC in the News

CBS Mornings: What to Know about Pope Leo XIV’s Ancestry

May 27, 2025

It was recently revealed that new pope has Louisiana Creole ancestry. Jari Honora, a family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, made the discovery and joined “CBS Mornings Plus” to explain.