Cardinal Dolan joins GDNY, reflects on Pope Francis' legacy: 'Man of the people'

Pope Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome and Sovereign of the Vatican City, died on Easter Monday. He was 88. In an interview Monday morning on Good Day New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan described his legacy.

Dolan said everyone was stopping him as he was walking on the streets over to the studio, including one lady who started crying. While Dolan said it’s "personal for Catholics," he described his morning so far.

"I've already gotten, you know, dozens and dozens of texts and phone calls of sympathy, probably a majority of my Jewish friends, were most of them from the Jewish community, who felt extraordinary touched," Dolan said.

When asked about Pope Francis' legacy, he told Rosanna Scotto: "I use this word like you Italians do, as a compliment. He was a peasant, which is a man of the people, a man of the Earth."

***You can watch the full interview in the video player.

The backstory:

The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis' death early Monday in an announcement read out by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Ferrell said.

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