'The People's Pope': NYC Mourns, Reacts To Death Of Pope Francis

NEW YORK CITY — New Yorkers and Catholics citywide are mourning the death of Pope Francis on Monday.

The 88-year-old pope died at his Vatican residence around 7:30 a.m. Rome time, the Catholic Church announced. On Easter Sunday, Francis gave remarks at a mass attended by thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams directed flags to be flown at half staff on Monday following the news of the pope's death.

"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," Adams said in a statement. "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."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan said during a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral Monday morning that even though the pope has passed over from this life to the next, "he still lives."

"Even though we have rock solid confidence in the mercy of Jesus, we never take it for granted. So we ask mercy upon his noble eternal soul. You bet we do, he'd want us to. He was such an eloquent preacher in divine mercy."

Pope Francis visited New York City back in September 2015 as part of a pastoral visit to the United States.

Francis had been battling double pneumonia, and spent five weeks in the hospital before his appearance on Easter Sunday.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul offered her condolences, saying in a post on X:

"I join Catholics around the world in mourning the loss of Pope Francis. 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. We should all strive to carry on his legacy."

Francis' cause of death has not been disclosed. He first elected as the 266th pope in 2013.