The Untold Truth Of Pope Francis' Siblings

One can assume he was also very close with his brother Oscar, as the two were near in age, and the only childhood photo of Francis shows them both celebrating their first Holy Communion together.

While Pope Francis made his own vow to never marry or have children long ago, his siblings have made him an uncle several times over. He has no shortage of extended relatives — 16 nieces and nephews, and several more great-nieces and great-nephews, according to National Catholic Reporter. He tragically lost two of his great-nephews in a 2014 car crash in Argentina, and his nephew was severely injured, per Daily Mail.

He had commented on the crash in a personal heartfelt message, asking for empathy and revealing just how many extended family members he has.

"We were five siblings, and I have 16 nieces and nephews," he said. "One of these nephews was in an accident. His wife died along with his two small children — one who was 2 years old and the other several months." As he pointed out, "The pope has a family, too."

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