A new Pope has been elected, and it comes with exciting news from the entertainment world. Most people discover distant cousins at weddings or through old family albums. But Madonna found hers sitting on the papal throne.
The Queen of Pop has just learned she shares ancestry with none other than Pope Leo XIV. The news comes from a deep dive into family trees by Henry Louis Gates Jr., working alongside genealogists from American Ancestors and the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami. And in true Madonna style, she didn’t keep quiet about it.
Madonna’s family tree is full of surprises
“We are related to the Pope” – Madonna
From #Madonna #Instagramstories pic.twitter.com/jiqGaSAPi1
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The research traces the roots of several celebrities back to a Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpré from Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Through him, Madonna shares distant family ties not only with the Pope but also with other big names like Angelina Jolie, Justin Bieber, Hillary Clinton, and both Trudeaus — Pierre and Justin.
On June 16, she posted a screenshot of the revelation to X/Twitter, followed by a playful photo on Instagram Stories. In the photo, her father, Silvio Ciccone, sits calmly while Madonna throws her hands in the air, striking a bold pose. Her caption read: “Silvio, We’re related to the Pope! Strike a pose!”. It was a short, cheeky nod to her iconic hit Vogue, but also a full-circle moment. Madonna’s relationship with Catholicism has always been a major thread in her career, from rosaries and crucifixes as accessories to full-blown controversies that once shook the Vatican.
Madonna has had several controversies with the Catholic community
Raised Catholic, Madonna chose “Veronica” as her confirmation name and later explored spiritual paths like Kabbalah and Sufism. Still, Catholic symbols and themes have remained a major part of her public persona, especially in music videos like “Like a Prayer,” which once drew fire from the Church for its provocative imagery.
Her bold art didn’t sit well with everyone. Back in 1989, the Vatican publicly condemned her, and Pope John Paul II even called for a boycott of her tour. More recently, her 2023 Vanity Fair shoot, where she dressed as the Virgin Mary, reopened old wounds. But even then, Madonna defended her choices, saying her intention was always to provoke thought and share something meaningful.