Henry Louis Gates Jr., best known for helping people and celebrities uncover ancestral connections on his long-running PBS series “Finding Your Roots,” has made headlines again with a viral family tree revelation involving the newly elected Pope Leo XIV.

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.

The phrase "Like a Prayer" has taken on a whole new significance for Madonna, as a recent discovery has revealed a surprising family connection to the Pope. In a collaborative article between The New York Times,