NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Pope Francis died Monday at 88, hours after blessing thousands of people at St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. His death came after a long hospital stay in February for a respiratory crisis. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who takes charge after the pontiff's death, said that the pope had "returned to the home of the Father" following his death at 1:35 a.m. ET. The pontiff will be laid in a coffin around 2 p.m. ET.
8:45 AM -- Hochul says 'carry on' pope's legacy
Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on X that she was mourning the pope and that "We should all strive to carry on his legacy."
"He embodied the values Christ taught us every day: Helping the less fortunate, calling for peace, and ensuring every person is treated as a child of God," the governor wrote.
8:15 AM -- Cardinal Dolan remembers Pope Francis
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archdiocese of New York, spoke to the press about the death of Pope Francis after Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Monday.
At the cathedral, a photo of Pope Francis was placed alongside the chair he sat in when he gave Mass there during his visit in 2015. A chalice he used was also resting on a table.
Dolan had already planned to go to Rome on Tuesday as part of a pilgrimage with 200 people. He said there's no formal schedule yet for the conclave to elect a new pope.
In a statement on the pope's death, Dolan said in part, "I join with people all over the world, not only Catholics, but people of all faiths or none at all, in mourning the passing of our beloved Pope Francis this morning. How appropriate that his last public appearance was on Easter Sunday as we celebrated the joy of the resurrection of Jesus whom Pope Francis loved so deeply and so well, and right after our Jewish brothers and sisters, for whom Pope Francis had such great love, concluded their celebration of Passover."
7 AM -- Adams orders flags at half-staff to honor Pope Francis
Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement Monday morning and ordered flags citywide at half-staff for Pope Francis.
Here is the mayor's statement:
“It is with great sadness that I mourn with billions around the world after learning of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. As someone deeply connected to my faith and who represents a city of millions of Catholics, my visit to the Vatican to meet with and hear directly from Pope Francis last year was one of the most sacred and special moments of my life. Pope Francis led with kindness, grace, and faith as he helped build a better world and unite all people, regardless of their background. His decades of spreading peace and love will forever be remembered.”
