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3 Of Pope's Family Members Die In Traffic Accident In Argentina

Pope Francis celebrates a Mass of reconciliation in Seoul's main cathedral on Monday. The wife and children of Francis' nephew have died after a car accident in Argentina, the Vatican reports.
Gregorio Borgia
/
AP
Pope Francis celebrates a Mass of reconciliation in Seoul's main cathedral on Monday. The wife and children of Francis' nephew have died after a car accident in Argentina, the Vatican reports.

Three of Pope Francis' family members have died in a traffic accident in Argentina. The wife of the pope's nephew and her two young children were killed, and the pope's nephew was "seriously injured," according to Vatican Radio.

Pope Francis said he was "profoundly saddened" by the news and asked that "all those who share in his grief join him in prayer."

NBC News, citing police in Cordoba, reports that the accident involved a cargo truck and a Chevy Spin. The network adds:

"The Chevy driver — Francis' 35-year-old nephew, Emanuel Bergoglio — was in intensive care in an induced coma after suffering a variety of injuries including liver trauma and a fractured femur, according to police. Bergoglio's wife, 36-year-old Carmona Valeria, and their eight-month-old son Jose died at the scene. Bergoglio's two-year-old, Antonio, later died at the hospital, police added."

Pope Francis recently traveled to South Korea, and on the flight back to Italy discussed the intervention in Iraq, saying that "it is licit to stop the unjust aggressor."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Dana Farrington is a digital editor coordinating online coverage on the Washington Desk — from daily stories to visual feature projects to the weekly newsletter. She has been with the NPR Politics team since President Trump's inauguration. Before that, she was among NPR's first engagement editors, managing the homepage for NPR.org and the main social accounts. Dana has also worked as a weekend web producer and editor, and has written on a wide range of topics for NPR, including tech and women's health.
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