Pope's Argentine nephew sponsored to travel to funeral
BUENOS AIRES - An Argentine nephew of Pope Francis said on April 24 a private donor had paid for him to travel to his uncle's funeral after the government failed to invite him to join officials travelling to Rome.
Mr Mauro Bergoglio, son of Francis' late brother Oscar Bergoglio, was offered tickets for him and his partner by a businesswoman who had heard him tell an Argentina TV programme he could not afford the trip.
'I never asked for a favour; it was offered to me, and the truth is that I accepted because it was the only chance I had to say goodbye,' Mr Bergoglio, a nurse by profession, told Radio Mitre from Rome on April 24.
President Javier Milei is set to travel to Rome later on April 24 with six members of his government, but no family member of the Pope, who was born Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires.
The seeming oversight elicited criticism from the political opposition and social media users.
Argentina's secretary of religion, Mr Nahuel Sotelo, replied on X he had spoken to the Pope's nephew, who had ruled out travelling to Rome.
It turned out he was referring to a different nephew – the son of the pontiff's last surviving sibling, Ms Maria Elena Bergoglio.
Mr Mauro Bergoglio's sister, Vanesa, reportedly wrote on X that her brother had 'truly wanted to be there' for the funeral of 'our last uncle.'
'We are not media personalities, we are workers, and like most people, we barely make it to the end of the month,' Vanesa said in the message quoted by local media before she restricted access to her account.
'I am grateful to the media for allowing him to make that trip,' she added, referring to the TV programme that drew attention to his quest.
The Pope's other siblings were Alberto Horacio and Marta Regina. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 minutes ago
- Straits Times
President Nawrocki representing Poland during Trump call, his office says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Newly sworn-in Polish President Karol Nawrocki attends the ceremony of accepting the sovereignty over the Armed Forces for the five-year term, in Warsaw, Poland, August 6, 2025. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel/File Photo WARSAW - Polish President Karol Nawrocki is representing Poland at a teleconference on Ukraine involving U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders on Wednesday, his office said on X. The office of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political opponent of Nawrocki, had earlier posted on X that Tusk was taking part in a video conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders. However, right-wing private broadcaster TV Republika, which supports Nawrocki and his backers in the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, reported that the president was taking part in the call with Trump at 1300 GMT and had been briefed by the foreign ministry. "... Prime Minister Donald Tusk is not participating in the meeting with President Trump," Nawrocki's spokesperson Rafal Leskiewicz said on X. "Poland is represented by President Karol Nawrocki." Government spokesman Adam Szlapka later clarified that Tusk was representing Poland in two separate calls taking place on Wednesday and involving European leaders but not Trump. Nawrocki, a conservative nationalist and eurosceptic, is an ally of Trump's MAGA movement and visited the White House during Poland's presidential election campaign this year. However, Nawrocki and PiS are strong supporters of Ukraine in its war with invading Russian forces, as is Tusk and his centrist government. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Norway spy chief blames Russian hackers for dam sabotage in April
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox ARENDAL, Norway - Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year, the head of the Nordic country's counter-intelligence agency said on Wednesday, the first time Oslo has officially attributed the cyberattack to its neighbour. While in command of the dam in Bremanger, western Norway, on April 7, the hackers opened a flood gate and released 500 litres (132 gallons) of water per second for four hours before the attack was detected and stopped, authorities previously said. No one was injured during the attack. Norway produces most of its electricity via hydropower dams and intelligence authorities have previously warned of the risk of attacks on its energy infrastructure. "Over the past year, we have seen a change in activity from pro-Russian cyber actors," Beate Gangaas, head of Norway's PST security police agency, said in a speech. The incident at Bremanger was one such activity, Gangaas added. "The aim of this type of operation is to influence and to cause fear and chaos among the general population," she said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 dead after fire in Jalan Bukit Merah flat, about 60 evacuated Singapore ST Explains: How the SAF's drone push for recruits reflects new battlefield realities Singapore HSA seeks Kpod investigators to arrest abusers, conduct anti-trafficking ops Opinion The 30s are heavy: Understanding suicide among Singapore's young adults Singapore Lawyer who sent misleading letters to 22 doctors fails in bid to quash $18,000 penalty Singapore Jail, caning for recalcitrant drug offender who assaulted 2 cops with stun device Singapore 4 taken to hospital after accident near Sports Hub, including 2 rescued with hydraulic tools Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story "Our Russian neighbour has become more dangerous." The Russian embassy in Oslo did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Last September, Britain's spy chief accused Russia of waging a "staggeringly reckless campaign" of sabotage in Europe, partly to scare European countries from helping Ukraine. Moscow denies this is true. After her speech, Gangaas told Reuters that she was going public with the attribution to warn the general population and to try to prevent Russia launching further attacks. "I want Norwegians to be prepared," she said in an interview. NATO-member Norway shares a border with Russia in the Arctic. Like the other Nordic countries, it is a staunch supporter of Ukraine. It is also Europe's largest supplier of gas, which is mostly transported via a network of pipelines under the North Sea. REUTERS
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Russia restricts Telegram, WhatsApp calls, citing law breaches
MOSCOW :Russia has started restricting some Telegram and WhatsApp calls, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases, the digital development ministry said on Wednesday. Russia has clashed with foreign tech platforms for several years over content and data storage in a simmering dispute that intensified after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with critics arguing that Russia is trying to expand its control over the country's internet space. President Vladimir Putin has authorised the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow seeks to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services and reducing its dependence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. "In order to counteract criminals... measures are being taken to partially restrict calls on these foreign messengers," the Interfax news agency quoted communications regulator Roskomnadzor as saying. "No other restrictions have been imposed on their functionality." WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters reporters verified the restrictions, noting that voice calls on Telegram had barely been functioning since August 11 and that WhatsApp calls had been rendered impossible due to intermittent sound and a metallic buzzing. The digital development ministry said Telegram and WhatsApp had ignored repeated requests to take measures to stop their platforms being used for activities such as fraud and terrorism. The blocking measures, which extend only to calls, would be lifted should the platforms comply with Russian law, the ministry said. This includes opening legal entities in Russia, complying unconditionally with all Russian laws and cooperating with Roskomnadzor and law enforcement, said Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's information technology committee. Meta was branded an "extremist" organisation by Moscow in 2022, but WhatsApp, widely used in Russia, was allowed to remain. The messenger has received some penalties for failing to remove information banned by Russia. Gorelkin last month said that WhatsApp should prepare to leave the market. Another lawmaker described WhatsApp's presence in the Russian market as a breach of national security. Critics have voiced concerns that Russia's new state-backed messaging app may track its users' activities and have suggested Russia might slow WhatsApp's speeds in order to get users to migrate to the new platform. Human Rights Watch said in a report last month that Russia's government was increasing its technological capacities and control over the country's internet infrastructure, allowing for more widespread blocking and throttling of unwanted websites and censorship circumvention tools.
