Pope Leo Reveals Immigrant, Enslaved, and Slaveholder Past
In an unprecedented televised interview with NBC News, Pope Leo XIV disclosed that his family history includes immigrants, enslaved people, and slaveholders — a revelation that casts the first American pontiff’s personal story as a mirror of the nation’s complex racial and immigrant heritage.
Speaking with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas on July 29 at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome, the pope offered a remarkably candid self-portrait, describing himself as “the pope who happens to be American” while expressing deep affection for the United States and its founding principles.
A Family History Rooted in America’s Contradictions
Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, revealed that his grandparents were immigrants and that on his mother’s side, his ancestors included both enslaved people and slaveholders. According to NBC News, the pope referenced his family background in response to a question about what he loves about America.
His disclosure aligns with a comprehensive investigation published by the New York Times in June 2025, which traced the pope’s ancestry back 500 years. The investigation identified four white ancestors who owned slaves in the United States and at least 17 ancestors described in historical records as “mulatto,” “free person of color,” or “quadroon,” reflecting generations of racial mixing in the American South and Caribbean.
Eight of the pope’s Black forebears were themselves found to have enslaved at least 40 people between them — a reflection of the complex class and color hierarchies that existed within free communities of color in the antebellum United States.
‘The Pope Who Happens to Be American’
Throughout the interview, Pope Leo carefully balanced his American identity with his role as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. “I think of myself more as the pope who happens to be American. Not to belittle what it means to be an American,” he said, as reported by The Guardian.
He expressed “great love” for America, citing “the sense of freedom, the sense of opportunity, the sense of having invited for generations people from around the world to be part of America.” The Guardian noted that Leo, who spent two decades as a missionary in Peru, said he continued to hold the principles “that have been a part of being American for so many years.”
The pope’s characterization of himself as a universal pastor with an American background signals his intent to transcend national boundaries while remaining rooted in the values of his homeland.
Political Undercurrents
The interview, the pope’s first US television appearance since his election on May 8, 2025, carried implicit political weight. Pope Leo has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, which he has described as “inhuman.” He has repeatedly spoken out in favor of welcoming migrants, most notably in a July 4 address on the Italian island of Lampedusa widely interpreted as a rebuke to President Trump.
Asked about a potential visit to the United States, the pope indicated that no trip has been planned yet but expressed hope to visit soon. He has not yet taken up a White House invitation extended by Vice President JD Vance in May 2025.
An Unprecedented Moment for the Vatican
The NBC interview marks a historic moment for the papacy. Never before has a sitting pope discussed his family’s connection to slavery and immigration in such personal detail during a televised interview. The revelation humanizes the leader of the Catholic Church while implicitly addressing some of the most contentious issues in American public life.
According to The Guardian, the interview took place on the sidelines of a “Canticle of Peace” prayer event featuring Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and a 164-member children’s choir.
What Lies Ahead
As the first American pope navigates his dual identity, questions remain about his relationship with the Trump administration and the timing of a potential US visit. His willingness to address his personal history so openly may signal a papacy defined by transparency and moral engagement with the social issues that divide the nation he once called home.
For American Catholics and observers worldwide, Pope Leo’s family story — encompassing immigrants, enslaved people, and slaveholders — offers a powerful reminder that even the highest office in Christendom is not immune to the complexities of the American experience.