It seems that Madonna’s hit ‘Like a Prayer’ has gained an unexpected layer of significance.
The Queen of Pop has been linked to none other than Pope Leo XIV, according to a fascinating interactive piece in The New York Times by Henry Louis Gates Jr. , who worked with American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami.
The article, which builds on the work of New Orleans genealogist Jari C. Honora, reveals that the Pope has Black ancestors and highlights his Creole heritage – a discovery first made by Jari.
Madonna is among several celebrities found to share ancestry with the Pope through a Canadian forebear, Louis Boucher de Grandpre from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. This ancestral tie places the Pope in a family tree with a host of “Canadian-derived distant cousins,” including not just Madonna but also Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, Jack Kerouac, and both Pierre and Justin Trudeau.
Upon discovering her familial ties to the pontiff, Madonna couldn’t hide her excitement. On Monday, June 16, she took to social media, sharing a screenshot of the revelation on X/Twitter and then posting a black-and-white snap of herself with her dad, Silvio Ciccone, on Instagram Stories, as reported by Mirror US, reports the Express.
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In the shared photo, captioned “Silvio, We’re related to the Pope! Strike a pose!”, we see Silvio sitting comfortably while Madonna strikes a dramatic pose with hands aloft. It’s worth noting that Madonna’s relationship with Catholicism has always been a theme in her life and career, long before this newfound connection to Pope Leo came to light.
Madonna’s relationship with Catholicism predates her connection to Pope Leo.(Image: madonna/Instagram)
Raised in the Catholic faith, she chose Veronica as her confirmation name and has since developed her “spiritual practices.”
Throughout her life, she has explored various religious paths including Kabbalah, Judaism, and Sufism, yet Catholicism has consistently influenced her, notably in her music career with its symbols.
She is recognised for bringing the cross into vogue as a fashion statement within pop culture.
The 66 year old icon has often been at the centre of controversy, facing allegations of blasphemy and sacrilege due to her provocative use of Catholic imagery. Her controversial 1989 hit ‘Like A Prayer’, with its burning crosses and sensual portrayal of Jesus, provoked outrage from the Vatican.
Justin Bieber attends The 2021 Met Gala(Image: Getty Images)
Pope John Paul II even called for a boycott of her Blond Ambition tour.
In 2023, Madonna once again stirred debate with her Vanity Fair cover shoot, where she depicted the Virgin Mary and included other religious motifs such as the 12 apostles. Reflecting on the backlash to ‘Like a Prayer’ and the subsequent calls for a boycott, she shared her astonishment at being targeted by the Church, remarking that they did not grasp the positive intentions behind her artistry, saying, “shocked to see myself being attacked by the Church, because they weren’t able to understand how much my work was trying to produce something good.”
In a surprising turn of events, American cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been chosen as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, following a conclave on 8 May. Now known as Pope Leo, the 69 year old cardinal is the first American to hold the esteemed position.
Pope Leo succeeds Pope Francis, who sadly passed away on 21 April at the age of 88 due to complications from a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and heart failure.
Born on 14 September 1955, in Chicago, Pope Leo grew up in the South Suburban town of Dolton with his two brothers, Louis and John. His parents, Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martinez, were a school superintendent and a librarian involved in parish life, respectively.
Interestingly, Pope Leo’s heritage is a mix of French, Italian, and Spanish, with his father being of French and Italian descent, while his mother was of Spanish ancestry. According to his brother, the family also discovered Creole roots on their father’s side, but it was never a topic of discussion among the siblings.
It remains to be seen whether Pope Leo will respond to Madonna’s 2015 tweet, in which she reached out to Pope Francis, stating, “I’m a good Catholic. I swear! I mean I don’t Swear! Its been a few decades since my last confession. Would it be possible to meet up one day to discuss some important matters?”I’ve been excommunicated three times. It doesn’t seem fair.
Sincerely, Madonna. “”.
