There is perhaps no figure in the world with such singularity as the pope, an apparent island all to himself in an independent city state. But when family tragedy strikes, it’s a quick reminder of exactly how human he is. That’s what happened to Pope Francis when news reached him in August 2014 that three of his relatives — including two very young great nephews — were killed in a car crash in his native Argentina.

A nephew of the pope, Emanuel Horacio Bergoglio, was driving the family Chevrolet Spin when it slammed into the back of a grain truck just after midnight, as they returned from a weekend getaway on August 18, 2014, according to the New York Daily News. The nephew’s wife, Valeria Carmona, and two children, José, aged two, and Antonio, 8 months, died. All of them died before reaching the hospital, except for Emanuel, who underwent life-saving surgery, which put him in critical but stable condition.

Raul Pombo, the driver of the truck, told local news outlets that he felt the impact, and that he found the relatively small car under the rear wheel of his truck. “I began stopping passing cars to ask for their fire extinguishers because the car was on fire,” Pombo said, according to Reuters.

Pope Francis grieves his loss with the public

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