Nat Barr highlights heartbreaking family secret from Anthony Albanese’s past – as she unpacks his reaction to the Pope’s death

Sunrise host Natalie Barr has suggested Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s emotional reaction to the death of Pope Francis may have been influenced by the heartbreaking story of his childhood.

Pope Francis died on Monday, aged 88, at the Saint Martha residence in the Vatican after battling double pneumonia. 

The Prime Minister spent Monday campaigning in Melbourne before heading to St Patrick’s Cathedral to address the nation following the Pontiff’s death. 

A solemn Mr Albanese took a drink of water to compose himself before beginning his emotional tribute to the 266th pontiff and first Pope from the southern hemisphere.

Barr said Mr Albanese had ‘interesting emotion’ during his address. 

Barr suggested Mr Albanese’s heartfelt response was linked to his childhood, in which Catholic dogma prevented him knowing who his father was until late in life  

‘Interesting emotion there from the Prime Minister. 

‘[Albanese was] brought up Catholic, but because of that faith, the identity of his father was kept from him,’ Barr said. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held back tears during a heartfelt address to the late Pope Francis (pictured)

The Pope died on Monday, aged 88, at the Saint Martha residence in the Vatican after battling a serious bout of double pneumonia

‘He went back to Italy and found him in later life. It’s explained in his book. It’s actually a unique and fascinating story.’

Mr Albanese’s mother Maryanne Ellery was Australian, while his father Carlo Albanese was from Barletta in Apulia in southern Italy. 

His parents met in March 1962 on a voyage from Sydney to Southampton, England, on the Sitmar Line’s TSS Fairsky, where his father worked as a steward.  

The pair did not continue their relationship and went their separate ways, with Mr Albanese being told his father had died in a car accident.

But when he was about 14, his mother revealed what had happened.

‘We sat down just after dinner one night and she — it was very traumatic for her, I think, to tell me that in fact that wasn’t the case, that my father might still be alive, that she’d met him overseas, fallen pregnant with me, had told him and he had said, basically, that he was betrothed to someone from the town in Italy where he was from,’ he told 7.30.

‘That whole guilt associated with having a child out of wedlock in 1963 as a young Catholic woman was a big deal and, hence, the extent to which she had gone to in terms of adopting my father’s name, she wore an engagement and a wedding ring, she — the whole family just believed this story.’

Sunrise host Natalie Barr (left) said Mr Albanese had ‘interesting emotion’, claiming his response was due to being raised Catholic and because of it did not know his dad

Driven by a sense of loyalty to his mother, Mr Albanese chose not to pursue information about his father until after her passing in 2002. 

‘There was a particular time where we were visiting my mother’s grave when [Albanese’s son] Nathan was a little boy and he said, ‘where’s your Daddy?”

‘And at that moment, it hit me that … I had a responsibility to him as well — he carried the name Albanese — and to find out more about my father.

‘So it was very much a gradual need that became … more and more a sense of urgency as it was clear to me as well that he would’ve been getting older and that I needed, I needed to know more about what had happened.’ 

Mr Albanese finally met his father in 2009 when he tracked him down following an extensive search which included multiple agencies. 

He visited his father numerous times in Italy and even took his family there, until his father died in 2014. 

Mr Albanese gave a tearful address following the Pope’s death on Monday, expressing that it was a ‘difficult evening’ for billions of people around the world. 

‘For Australian Catholics, he was a devoted champion and loving father,’ Mr Albanese said.

‘He was truly inspirational. The memory and example of his compassion will long endure as we mourn his death.  

‘Australian Catholics and faithful around the world give thanks for the life of their Holy Father, Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome. 

‘The prayers of more than a billion people from all nations and every walk of life go with Pope Francis to his rest. 

‘Pope Francis’ compassion embraced all humanity, and today, he will be mourned by Catholics and non- Catholics alike.’

Fighting back tears, Mr Albanese added: ‘My sincere condolences to everyone for whom tonight will be a very difficult evening’. 

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