So here’s a cosmic curveball for you: did you ever imagine that the new Pope and pop icon Madonna might actually be distant family? Yep, it sounds wild—but the family tree of Pope Leo XIV, the freshly minted leader of the Catholic Church and the very first American to hold the papacy, uncovers some startling ties. While genealogists often say if you dig deep enough, everyone’s connected, this one’s got a few jaw-dropping celebrity cousins sprinkled in—Madonna being the most headline-worthy among them. Born under the steady sign of Taurus (if you believe in that sort of thing), Pope Leo’s steady rise feels like destiny, yet nobody expected this dark horse from the U.S. to snag the papal crown. With roots sprawling across North America and tangles stretching from France to Spain, and even surprise entries like freedom fighters and Black ancestors in his lineage, this Pope’s story is as diverse and intriguing as any Hollywood script. Meanwhile, Madonna, known for her rebellious dances with Catholic imagery, is reportedly thrilled to discover this divine family link—because what’s more astrologically amusing than a Taurus Pope and a fiercely independent Gemini pop queen being kin? Dive into this celestial mix of faith, fame, and family secrets—it’s one for the history books! LEARN MORE
The new Pope might be a blood-relative to pop icon Madonna.
No, really. Pope Leo XIV’s family tree has been revealed in a new piece published in the New York Times, revealing some shocking links.
It may be true that, if you go far back enough, you could be related to anyone, but it was discovered that the leader of the Catholic Church is actually linked with a number of A-list celebrities, through one common ancestor.
The 69-year-old was elected as Pope on 8 May 2025, following the death of close friend Pope Francis.
Pope Leo was considered as a dark horse to be elected Pope though, as he is an American, and there had never been a Pope from the US before.
Pope Leo XIV is the first ever American Pope (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
With his roots in North America, it should come as no surprise that he has ancestral links across the continent itself, as well as across several nations in Western Europe.
This includes, France, Italy, and Spain, highlighting the history of American immigration, while some also appeared from Cuba and Canada, among other countries.
Several ancestors of the Pope were also reported to be Black, according to the New York Times article, while he also has two freedom fighters as part of his family tree.
But above all, it was found through the extension of work carried out by genealogist Jari C. Honora, that the leader of the Catholic Church has links with Madonna.
Madonna has long been proud of her Catholic upbringing (Kevin Mazur/MG25/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Madonna was raised Catholic, and was even confirmed under the name, Veronica.
But the American singer is known for her controversial depictions of Catholicism over the years, most of all her 1989 pop hit ‘Like A Prayer’, where she burns crosses and depicts Jesus as a sensual being, who was Black.
Her portrayal of the religion received backlash from the Vatican, though this hasn’t stopped her from celebrating her faith.
Madonna brought the crucifix symbol into the fashion world, where it has remained a big part of pop culture ever since, on items such as jewellery.
The music video has been subject to criticism over the years (YouTube/Madonna)
It’s not just the 66-year-old that’s related to the Pope though, as it was found that through Canadian forebear, Louis Boucher de Grandpre from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, that he had a number of famous distant cousins.
Pope Leo is ninth cousins, several times removed, from some recognisable names that include Angelina Jolie, Justin Bieber, Hillary Clinton, and Justin Trudeau, among others.
But Madonna was the only one from the list of names to go public with the news, sharing that she was over the moon to find the news out.
Taking to Instagram, she posted a photo with her 94-year-old father and captioned it, ‘Silvio, We’re related to the Pope! Strike a pose!’
Madonna can be seen standing behind her father in a dramatic pose, displaying her happiness at the familial link.
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