The Empire State Building in New York is shining gold and white tower lights for a four-hour window Monday night and into Tuesday morning in memory of Pope Francis following his death.
The building was shining starting at 10 p.m. Monday night and will stay lit until 2 a.m. Tuesday to honor the life and legacy of the pontiff, according to the Empire State Building website.
“A defining feature of the New York City skyline since 1976, the Empire State Building lights have captured the world’s imagination for decades,” the building’s website reads. “We maintain a tradition of changing the color of the lights to recognize important occasions, holidays, and organizations throughout the year.”
“Since 2012, the building has used a state-of-the-art LED lighting system, capable of displaying more than 16 million colors,” the website adds.
Francis died Monday morning at the age of 88, ending his 12-year papacy as the 266th pope and spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced Monday morning.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” Ferrell continued. “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
Political and religious leaders around the world mourned after learning of Francis’ death.
“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, spent 38 days in Rome’s Gemelli hospital starting on Feb. 14 to treat a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
The pope was still recovering when he met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday at the Casa Santa Marta.
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