In an emotional interview, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York described the death of Pope Francis as “a death in the family,” capturing the deep sorrow felt by Catholics around the world.

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“You feel like we’ve lost a father,” he said. “There’s a communal sense of sorrow and loss — and well there should be.” Cardinal Dolan recounted how New Yorkers spontaneously expressed their grief as he made his way to media interviews. “One lady just stopped and started crying,” he said. “Another fella came up to me and said, ‘I’m probably an agnostic at best, but I already miss the old guy.’”