New Yorkers mourning the death of Pope Francis on Monday remembered the beloved pontiff as an “amazing soul” as they shared fond recollections of his two-day whirlwind stop in the Big Apple in 2015.
“A pope dying is like losing a father in the family. This is one of our own,” Father Donald Haggerty told The Post outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, where a noon Mass was being held to honor the pope, who visited the historic house of worship during his first and only US trip.
“There are many people who are not Catholic that shed tears today,” Haggerty said. “He touched a lot of people outside the Church and in the Church.”
Francis died overnight Monday at the age of 88 after battling a series of health problems in recent months. He was remembered as a transformative figure in the Catholic church, ushering in an era of compassion for the less fortunate around the world.
“Pope Francis was a man who loved the poor,” Father Hagerty said. “Loved the poor long before he became the pope. And he loved the poor in a beautiful way.”
During the pope’s historic September 2015 visit to New York, he was warmly greeted by tens of thousands of local faithful, who rolled out the red carpet as he spoke and held services at locales including the United Nations, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the 9/11 memorial.
Carol Curtis, 81, who lives in Chelsea, teared up as she struggled to put her grief into words, remembering Francis’s “humility and ability to comfort people.
“I think he was an incredible person. I think in terms of all the people we have as leaders in the world, he’s the best,” said Curtis, who came to the church to pay her respects despite the fact that she was raised Catholic but no longer practices.
“This is the most somber crowd I have ever seen at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Usually it’s tourists that come in, but it felt important to stop in today,” she said.
“His legacy is going to be his humility and his ability to just be with people and hear them and comfort them.”
Cecilia Garcia, 67, who often visits St. Patrick’s, reflected somberly on the death of Pope Francis.
“When it’s time to go, you go. No matter who you are or where you are. It’s very sad,” she said.
She described the departed pontiff as an “amazing soul” and said she fought back tears as she attended Monday’s service.
“May God rest his soul.”
Francis led evening prayers at the iconic Midtown church soon after his flight landed at JFK Airport on Sept. 24, 2015, singling out nuns in the crowd and thanking the religious sisters for their service.
At one point he blessed a young woman in a wheelchair. The woman burst into tears of joy as he laid his hands on her.
The next day, Francis addressed the United Nations General Assembly, delivering remarks about issues that were close to his heart during his reign, including peace, poverty and the environment. He called upon global leaders to carry out their duties with integrity and mercy.
Next, Pope Francis’ motorcade took the him through Central Park, where he waved to more than 80,000 people who flocked to the expanse hoping to lay eyes on the pontiff.
He took part in a multi-faith service later that night at the 9/11 Memorial, where he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with many other religious leaders.
One of Francis’ more casual stops during his city visit was Buenos Aires, an Argentinian restaurant in the East Village, where the pope dined on grilled chicken with lemon, empanadas and bread pudding on a grill fabricated especially for him.
“My wife asked the pope, ‘How did you like the chicken?’ He said, ‘Very good’,” chef Ismael Alba, 66, recalled to The Post on Monday.
Alba described Francis as humble and funny, saying they discussed such things as Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup.
When Alba put his arm around the pope for a photo, someone on the security detail removed it, the chef said.
But the pope wasn’t having that, Alba said.
“I swear on my mother’s ashes, [Francis] said, ‘Put your hand back, the pope doesn’t bite,’ ” Alba recalled.
Alba’s wife, Karina De Marco, said she felt “emotional” after learning of the pontiff’s death, calling him “a great pope for the people” and “a very inclusive person” who “respected everyone” regardless of their faith.
“He was a great guy,” De Marco shared.
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