HNOC in the News

CNN: Pope Leo XIV has Creole Lineage, New Orleans Genealogist Says

May 9, 2025

Jari C. Honora, a family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, shared his research and records with CNN.

Pope Leo’s maternal grandparents, Joseph and Louise Martinez, are listed as Black in the 1900 Census. HNOC / Jari Honora

“The family were free people of color prior to the Civil War. When they moved to Chicago between 1910 and 1912, they ‘passed’ into the White world. And that’s OK. I think that’s important to bring out that this is not accusatory . . . . It’s not meant to be a sort of ‘I got you’ moment. This is taking a long view of history and showing you things that people did hold on to, and their faith is one of them.”

Jari C. Honora, HNOC family historian

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More on Pope Leo XIV from HNOC

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.

Research

Genealogy Resources

Our experts at the Williams Research Center are available to help you dive into your family history.

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People reading and working at tables in a spacious, well-lit library with high ceilings. Theres a mezzanine level with bookshelves and more seating. Large windows, elegant chandeliers, and a patterned carpet add to the classic ambiance.

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Fortier Embroidery Sampler

A 200-year-old piece of needlework by a young student at the Ursuline Convent sheds light on the lives of Catholic Creole girls in early 19th-century Louisiana.

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Le Spiritualiste

When séances were all the rage, New Orleans produced the nation’s first and only French-language publication devoted to Spiritualism.

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A sepia-toned vintage photograph of a man with curly dark hair and a mustache. He is dressed in a 19th-century suit with a double-breasted coat and bow tie. The image has an old, slightly worn appearance.

Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez Papers

A rare collection of manuscript essays and family correspondence offers a thrilling look at one of the most influential people in the early struggle for African American civil rights in Louisiana.

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HNOC in the News

NOLA.com Names HNOC Historian Jari Honora as 2025 “Louisianan of the Year”

January 5, 2026

The family historian and certified genealogist received the honor for his work connecting the pope’s heritage to the state’s history and culture.

HNOC in the News

WWL Radio: Daniel Hammer Discusses Pope Leo XIV and Upcoming Exhibitions

June 2, 2025

HNOC’s president and CEO went on the Newell Normand Show to talk about the organization’s role in discovering the ancestry of the new pope and much more.