Pop icon Madonna has responded with her signature wit after discovering an unexpected connection to the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. The legendary performer, known for her long and sometimes complex relationship with Catholic symbolism, learned she shares ancestry with the Pope through a Canadian ancestor.
The revelation comes from a recent genealogical exploration by Henry Louis Gates Jr. for The New York Times, in collaboration with American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami. Building on the research of New Orleans genealogist Jari C. Honora, the report traces the family history of Pope Leo XIV—formerly American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—and uncovers diverse roots, including Creole heritage and Black ancestry.
Among those identified as distant cousins of the new Pope are several public figures with French Canadian ties, including Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, and Canadian political figures Pierre and Justin Trudeau. The shared lineage is traced back to Louis Boucher de Grandpré of Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
Madonna, never one to miss an opportunity for a lighthearted moment, reacted on social media. On June 16, she reposted a screenshot of the discovery to X (formerly Twitter) and followed it with a nostalgic photo on Instagram Stories. In the image, she appears next to her father, Silvio Ciccone, adding the playful caption: “Silvio, We’re related to the Pope! Strike a pose!”
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