For the first time in United States history, there is an American pope, Pope Leo XIV. He is “American” in the full sense of the word: He comes from both North and South America. He was born and educated in the U.S. but spent many, many years of his life as a priest working in Peru — a beautiful country (I’ve been there) where 45% of the population is Indigenous and 37% is Mestizo. The country’s population is 80% Roman Catholic. Of course, he is totally fluent in English and Spanish. On his mother’s side, he is descended from Creole “people of color” in Louisiana.

This is significant because “creole” was/is a legal term for people of mixed racial background: European, African and/or Indigenous descent. They were not “white” and with the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, they officially lost their right to vote — they were placed on the Black side of the color line, even though many physically appeared “white.”

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