The election of Pope Leo XIV, who is the first U.S. pope and has Creole roots, is raising more awareness about the complexity of the Creole identity.

When Father Tony Ricard watched the new pope deliver his first address to the faithful Thursday in St. Peter’s Square, he felt an instant kinship.

In prior interviews, Pope Leo XIV said he was open to a vocation to the priesthood because neighborhood priests were always in and out of his childhood, as his mother often fed them. "Now we know why her cooking was so good— both her mother and father were from New Orleans.