Santo Domingo.- Civil registry records from Chicago reveal that the newly elected Pope Leo XIV has Dominican heritage through his grandfather, Joseph N. Martinez. The documents show that the Pope’s mother, Mildred Agnes Martinez, was born in Chicago on December 30, 1911, and was the daughter of Joseph N. Martinez, a native of the Dominican Republic.
His maternal grandmother, Louise Baquiet, was born in New Orleans.
Pope Leo XIV, the new head of the Catholic Church, has visited the Dominican Republic multiple times, further highlighting his connection to the country.