If there’s one story in 2025 that sounds too surreal to be true, it’s this: the newly elected Pope is distantly related to Madonna and Justin Bieber. Yes, you read that correctly.
Pope Leo XIV — born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago — became the head of the Catholic Church this May following the death of Pope Francis. His election was already historic, marking the first time an American has held the position in nearly 2,000 years of papal history. But just when you thought the Vatican couldn’t surprise you anymore, The New York Times uncovered a family tree twist fit for a Netflix dramedy.
Through a shared ancestor named Louis Boucher de Grandpré, born generations ago in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the Pope is reportedly a distant cousin not only to Madonna and Bieber, but also to Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and beat generation author Jack Kerouac.
In North America’s immigrant melting pot, this kind of unexpected lineage isn’t entirely unheard of. Remember in 2012 when Julia Roberts was revealed to be a descendant of Vlad the Impaler — the real-life Dracula? These historical curveballs tend to pop up when genealogists start digging.
But the Madonna connection hits differently. A proud Italian-American Catholic, she’s also been one of the Vatican’s most controversial figures. Her 1989 “Like a Prayer” music video — featuring a steamy, racially charged relationship with a Black Jesus figure — was denounced by the Church. Several Italian networks even pulled her Pepsi commercial as a result. It was tabloid gold.
Madonna being Madonna, she responded in 2022 with a cheeky tweet: “Let’s set up a meeting, Pope Francis. We have some important matters to discuss. I’ve been excommunicated three times. It doesn’t seem fair.”
Now that she’s officially “family,” maybe she’ll finally get that audience.
Justin Bieber, for his part, has always worn his faith on his sleeve. A devout Christian, he’s publicly associated himself with Churchome, a celebrity-frequented congregation based in Seattle. Over the years, his Instagram has featured faith-heavy posts, and in early June, he wrote to his followers: “Who are you to tell someone what they should or shouldn’t do? Only God decides what we deserve.”
It’s not just branding for Bieber. After weathering the harsh glare of fame, religion seems to anchor him in a world that constantly spins. In that way, he and Pope Leo — whose entire life is now defined by faith — may have more in common than anyone expected.
Still, the idea of Madonna and the Pope attending the same family reunion feels like a fever dream. Picture the Pope reviewing documents in his Vatican office when an aide walks in and says, “Your cousin Madonna would like to schedule a hymn session.” You couldn’t write better satire.
In Paris, a 28-year-old vinyl collector named Amélie was flipping through used records when she heard the news. “My grandmother prays to the Pope. My little sister listens to Madonna. Turns out they’re worshiping the same bloodline,” she said, laughing — though her eyes looked a little emotional.
That’s the strange, beautiful reality of human history. Politics, religion, and pop culture often seem like separate spheres, but every once in a while, a story threads them together through one long ancestral chord. Sometimes it’s a hymn. Sometimes it’s a pop song. And sometimes — it’s an oddly divine duet.
The Church once condemned Madonna’s lyrics in Like a Virgin. Now, it turns out they were family squabbles.
Honestly? Sounds like something only God could orchestrate.
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