Recent findings have highlighted the immigrant heritage of Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, marking him as the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church. This revelation has sparked discussions surrounding the United States' intricate history with immigration and race relations. Ancestry, a prominent family history service, has revealed that Leo's paternal grandfather, John R. Prevost, immigrated to the United States from northeastern Sicily, Italy. This discovery came to light during Leo's inaugural address to world diplomats, where he emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity of migrants.
In his speech, Pope Leo XIV shared, “My own story is that of a citizen, the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate.” This message resonates deeply in the context of his grandfather's journey. John R. Prevost, originally named Salvatore Giovanni Gaetano Riggitano, was born on June 24, 1876, in Milazzo, Messina, Italy. He arrived in New York aboard the steamship Perugia in May 1903, as part of a wave of approximately 4 million Italians seeking a better life in the U.S. between 1880 and 1915.
Documents from 1940, including a required form for foreign nationals, revealed his origins and confirmed his immigrant status. Over time, Riggitano adopted the name John and took on the surname of his wife, Suzanne Prevost. His life in Chicago was marked by his roles as a teacher of Italian, French, and Spanish, as well as a devoted family man.
Pope Leo XIV's family history extends beyond his paternal line. His maternal lineage includes Mildred Agnes Martinez, whose father, Joseph, was born on the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The family lived in New Orleans's Seventh Ward, a community known for its mixed-race identity, where the term Creole was commonly used. Historical records indicate that the Martinezes identified as Black at one point. However, by 1920, during a time of severe racial oppression in the U.S. South, the family relocated to Chicago and altered their racial identity to white, a common practice among many families seeking to navigate the oppressive racial climate of the era.
Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred raised their three sons within the Catholic faith in Chicago. Their youngest son, Robert Prevost, was ordained a priest in 1982 and eventually became the worldwide leader of the Augustinians. In September 2023, he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis and later took on the significant role of heading the Vatican entity responsible for selecting new bishops globally.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, succeeding the late Francis, just about 460 miles from his grandfather's homeland in Italy. Genealogist Kyle Betit remarked, “We often see parallels between the past and the present. In the case of the new pope, his grandfather journeyed from Italy to America, and his journey brought him back to Italy as pope.”
The election of Pope Leo XIV comes at a time when immigration policy in the U.S. is a contentious issue. His predecessor frequently clashed with the administration of Donald Trump, which focused on stringent immigration enforcement. Following Trump's re-election, significant news surrounding immigration-related detentions and removals continued to surface.
As a cardinal, Robert Prevost had previously expressed his views on immigration by sharing a critique of comments made by JD Vance, Trump's vice-president, regarding prioritizing the needs of one's own people over others. During his inaugural address, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the importance of human dignity, stating, “All of us, in the course of our lives, can find ourselves healthy or sick, employed or unemployed, living in our native land or in a foreign country, yet our dignity always remains unchanged. It is the dignity of a creature willed and loved by God.”
As the world watches Pope Leo XIV's leadership unfold, his unique background as an immigrant descendant from Chicago may influence his stance on immigration and race, continuing to highlight the complex narrative of America’s relationship with these vital issues.
