Inside Pope Francis' family: Five siblings and one surviving sister

Pope Francis's death was announced earlier today, on April 21st. He was 88 years old. The moment has triggered many tributes and retrospectives on the Pope's legacy, including an advocacy for the poor and the marginalized, and a progressive agenda that tried to move the Church in a more accepting direction. Born on December 17th, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, under the name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Pope was the eldest son of a family of five siblings. Here's what we know about his family: 

A family of Italian immigrants

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Pope Francis' family was made up of Italian immigrants from the Piedmont region who built their lives in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The Pope's grandfather, Giovanni Angelo Bergoglio, immigrated to Argentina when he was 20 years old, forming his family there. The Pope's father, Mario Jose Bergoglio, worked in the railway industry, with his mother staying at home to raise the children.  

The Pope's siblings

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Pope Francis was the eldest of five siblings. They were Alberto Horacio, Marta Regina, María Elena, and Óscar Adrián. The only surviving sibling is María Elena, who lives in Argentina and leads a private life.

In his biography, Pope Francis reminisced about his life and his family, discussing the many tragedies that they'd lived through. His father died when María Elena was a young girl, with the Pope becoming her father figure. His siblings died over the past decades: Óscar died in 1997, Marta in 2007, and Alberto in 2010. 

"Life in my family has known a lot of sadness, tears, and pain, but even in the most difficult times we've experienced a smile and a laugh that could provide us with the energy we needed to find our way back," wrote the Pope in his memoir "Hope," as reported by our sister website HOLA! Spain.

The family's ties with soccer

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Like most Argentines, the Pope's family were big fans of soccer and were followers of Club Atlético San Lorenzo, which was formed in the neighborhood of Boedo, in Buenos Aires. In the case of the Pope's father, he died after experiencing a heart attack while watching a San Lorenzo match in the stadium. He was accompanied by his son, Alberto. 

The Pope was also a passionate fan of soccer, and was a follower of the San Lorenzo club throughout his life, retaining his club card membership and watching games whenever he could. 

The Pope has different nephews, including Felipe Bergoglio, a 20-year-old soccer player who plays in the Italian team Castiglione 1919. On a previous occasion, Felipe shared that he was 10 years old when his grandfather became Pope. 

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