"What does the pope think about us being related? That's my question," one cousin said. "What does he think of us because we're Afro American?" She plans to write a letter inviting Leo to her home if he ever visits New Orleans.

There is no evidence Pope Leo XIV publicly said the quote in question. A Google search of the words " Pope Leo 'you cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of kings' " revealed only social media posts featuring the graphic above or attributing the quote to Pope Leo XIV without any evidence.

Pope Leo XIV is distantly related to a number of prominent figures, including Hillary Clinton and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to a genealogy investigation published by the New York Times.