Pope Leo XIV has revealed that his family history includes both enslaved people and slaveowners, speaking publicly for the first time about his ancestry in an interview with NBC Nightly News.
“On my mother’s side, we have people who were both slaves and slave owners,” Pope Leo told NBC anchor Tom Llamas.
He continued: “There’s a history of, if you will, growing up in the kind of experience that helps me to recognize myself, one of the greatest wealths of the United States.”
According to NBC Nightly News, this is the first time Pope Leo has publicly acknowledged his family’s connection to slavery on camera.
