Pope Leo XIV is a notable fan of the Chicago White Sox, a penance for sins if ever there was one. He has Creole roots through family members from New Orleans. He plays pandemic sensation turned New York Times tentpole Wordle daily. Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. pointed out last week that he's related to many of America's most enduring exports.

Pope Leo XIV, an Augustinian friar, has been shaped by deep interiority and the theology of longing and memory. He personally engaged with all three of his predecessors — he worked under them, learned from them, and shared in their vision. He doesn’t inherit the papacy as an outsider but comes from inside the Church’s memory.

The pope also shares roots with several politicians. Through one Canadian ancestor, he’s distant cousins with Pierre and Justin Trudeau and Hillary Clinton.