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Topics: Pope Leo, Celebrity, Justin Bieber, US News
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Pope Leo, Celebrity, Justin Bieber, US News
Two staggeringly different worlds have unexpectedly collided this week, after news broke that newly-inaugurated Pope Leo XIV has two rather huge-name relatives.
And it sounds as though the blindsiding revelation has left a vast number of culture fanatics asking the same vital question.
The news was broken last week by the New York Times, who put together a report claiming that the Chicago-born Pontiff - who just so happens to be the first head of the Catholic Church to hail from the States - has two famous cousins.
The news outlet enjoyed a deep-dive into Pope Leo's vast ancestry, with the help of genealogy firm American Ancestors, as well as the Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami.
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It turns out that, through a common ancestor born seven generations ago, the 69-year-old is related to a number of Canadians - including none other that Mr 'Baby' himself, Justin Bieber.
The Pope's connection to the North doesn't stop there, however.
"Through one Canadian ancestor, Louis Boucher de Grandpre, who was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the Pope is related to numerous Canadian-derived distant cousins," the report explained.
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It then went on to mention former first lady and ex-presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton - along with the likes of Pierre and Justin Trudeau, the latter being the former Canadian prime minister.
The NYT's report also mentioned Hollywood legend Angelina Jolie, as well as novelist and poet Jack Kerouac.
The news has many entertainment news buffs wondering one thing - why on Earth does every celeb seem to be somewhat related to one another?!
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"[Is] this nepotism?" one asked on social media in response to the news.
Another joked: "Why's everybody famous related?"
Commenting on the vast range between each star, another demanded: "How are all of those people related wtf?"
Arguable the most controversial of the publication's findings is that Pope Leo is also related to Grammy icon Madonna through the same relative.
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For those in need of a reminder, the 'Queen of Pop' has regularly used her platform to call out the Vatican.
In 2022, she tweeted Pope Leo's predecessor Pope Francis, asking him to 'meet up' to 'discuss some important matters', and adding: "I’ve been ex communicated 3 times. It doesn’t seem fair."
Seven years earlier, she tweeted the same man, claiming he was 'stalking' her in a controversial joke, after they both attended events in a close-knit area of New York.
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"Either he’s a copycat or he’s secretly in love with me," she jibed at the time.
Madge added at the time, however: "I like the new pope. He seems very open-minded.
"I’ve been excommunicated from the Catholic Church three times. It shows the Vatican cares deeply."
She went on to joke: "Since Popey-wopey is on his way over here, I want to dedicate this song to him because it’s a love song and I, for one, do think that love makes the world go around.
"I don’t think there’s that much difference between me and the Pope. We both wear dresses."