Pope Francis laid to rest after historic funeral | Eyewitness News updates

Many of the parishioners who worship at Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn are from Latin America and there is a deep connection knowing the pope was from Argentina.

Father Robert Wojtek opened mass on Monday morning with words of remembrance.

Church staff put up a large photo of Pope Francis to honor him and the legacy he leaves behind. For many Catholics, the pope's death is personal.

Eyewitness News spoke with several people, including a man named William Hernandez who broke down as soon as he was asked for his reaction.

Hernandez is from Puerto Rico and remembers the pride he felt when Pope Francis was elected as the first pope from Latin America.

Crystal Cranmore has more:

Crystal Cranmore has more on the pride and loss felt by Catholic parishioners in Sunset Park, Brooklyn after the death of Pope Francis.

The Roman Catholic Church has had 266 leaders across three millennia.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the senior Vatican official who announced Pope Francis' death on Monday morning, will serve as head of the Catholic Church until a new pope is elected, according to the Vatican.

Born in Ireland, the 77-year-old Farrell has long ties in the United States, having served as the bishop of the Diocese of Dallas and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., according to the Vatican.

Pope Francis nominated Farrell in 2019 to be the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church with the responsibility of administering the property and revenues of the Holy See. In 2020, Francis also appointed Farrell as president of the Church's Commission on Confidential Matters and in 2023, the late pontiff elevated Farrell to president of the Vatican City State Supreme Court, according to the Vatican.

On Monday morning, Farrell broke the news to the world of Pope Francis' death, reading a statement at the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta at the Vatican, the pope's residence and where he died.

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The world is mourning the loss of Pope Francis, who died on Monday morning, one day after he made an appearance from the balcony of St. Peter's basilica to address the crowd on Easter Sunday.

The death of the head of the Catholic Church comes after a series of worsening health problems, including a respiratory crisis that left him in critical condition in recent months.

Pope Francis appeared at noon local time in his wheelchair and blessed the crowd. After declaring "Buona Pasqua!" (Happy Easter!), he indicated someone would read his message for him.

Francis' final Easter address called for an end to violence worldwide, and compassion for the world's marginalized people.

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