Pope Francis 'Deeply Grieved' By Death Of Relatives In Car Crash

Pope Francis is reportedly "deeply grieved" after learning that three of his relatives were killed in an early morning car crash in Argentina on Monday.

The pope's nephew, Emanuel Bergoglio, was reportedly driving with his wife and two children just after midnight in Argentina's central Cordoba province when they crashed into the back of a big rig truck.

Although Bergoglio survived his injuries, his wife and two children, ages two and eight months, died in the collision that reportedly sandwiched the vehicle between the truck and the pavement.

Vatican Radio, the Holy See's official broadcasting service, released a statement saying Pope Francis was "deeply grieved" by the loss of his relatives. "The pope has been informed and is deeply grieved by the tragic news. He asks all those who share his pain to join with him in prayer," the statement read.

Father Federico Lombardi, a spokesperson for the pontiff, added to media outlets that "the pope has been informed [of the incident] and he is painfully sorry."

Earlier this week, Francis joked about his own mortality with journalists upon his return from South Korea, saying that he could follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, and resign the papacy due to his old age. "Some theologians may say this is not right, but I think this way."

"Let us think about what [Benedict XVI] said, 'I have got old, I do not have the strength.' It was a beautiful gesture of nobility, of humility and courage."

Francis joked that at 77, he thinks he will die soon: "I know this will last a short time, two or three years, and then to the house of the Father."