This photo taken on April 21, 2025 and handout on April 22, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Francis in his open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in The Vatican. Handout/The Vatican Media via AFP

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1745542909395Screen Shot 2025-04-25 at 9.01.20 AM.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="This photo taken on April 21, 2025 and handout on April 22, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Francis in his open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in The Vatican. Handout/The Vatican Media via AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This photo taken on April 21, 2025 and handout on April 22, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Francis in his open coffin during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff at the Chapel of Santa Marta in The Vatican<em>. Handout/The Vatican Media via AFP</em></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — An Argentine nephew of Pope Francis said Thursday a private donor had paid for him to travel to his uncle&#x27;s funeral after the government failed to invite him to join officials traveling to Rome.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/22/pope-asked-for-simple-unadorned-tomb-for-final-resting-place-1004">Pope asked for simple, unadorned tomb for final resting place</a></div><p>Mauro Bergoglio, son of Francis&#x27;s late brother Oscar Bergoglio, was offered tickets for him and his partner by a businesswoman who had heard him tell an Argentina TV program he could not afford the trip.</p><p>&quot;I never asked for a favor; it was offered to me, and the truth is that I accepted because it was the only chance I had to say goodbye,&quot; Mauro, a nurse by profession, told Radio Mitre from Rome on Thursday.</p><p>President Javier Milei is set to travel to Rome later Thursday with six members of his government, but no family member of the pope, who was born Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/24/huge-crowds-expected-for-second-day-of-pope-lying-in-state-1057">Thousands gather for second day to view pope</a></div><p>The seeming oversight elicited criticism from the political opposition and social media users.</p><p>Argentina&#x27;s secretary of religion, Nahuel Sotelo, replied on X he had spoken to the pope&#x27;s nephew, who ruled out traveling to Rome.</p><p>It turned out he was referring to a different nephew -- the son of the pontiff&#x27;s last surviving sibling, Maria Elena Bergoglio.</p><p>Mauro&#x27;s sister, Vanesa, reportedly wrote on X that her brother had &quot;truly wanted to be there&quot; for the funeral of &quot;our last uncle.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/23/vatican-declares-nine-days-of-mourning-for-pope-from-saturday-0148">Vatican declares nine days of mourning for pope from Saturday</a></div><p>&quot;We are not media personalities, we are workers, and like most people, we barely make it to the end of the month,&quot; Vanesa said in the message quoted by local media before she restricted access to her account.</p><p>&quot;I am grateful to the media for allowing him to make that trip,&quot; she added, referring to the TV program that drew attention to his quest.</p><p>The pope&#x27;s other siblings were Alberto Horacio and Marta Regina.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XX8o2bV89rE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>An Argentine nephew of Pope Francis said a private donor had paid for him to travel to his uncle's funeral after the government failed to invite him to join officials traveling to Rome.</p>

An Argentine nephew of Pope Francis said a private donor had paid for him to travel to his uncle's funeral after the government failed to invite him to join officials traveling to Rome.

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'No gov't help': Pope's Argentine nephew sponsored to travel to funeral

'No gov't help': Pope's Argentine nephew sponsored to travel to funeral

Agence France-Presse

Published Apr 25, 2025 09:13 AM PHT

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Pope Francis

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