In memory of Pope Francis after his passing, the Empire State Building in New York is illuminated with gold and white tower lights for a four-hour period on Monday night extending into Tuesday morning.
The lighting of the building started at 10 p.m. on Monday and will continue until 2 a.m. on Tuesday as a tribute to the pontiff’s life and contributions, as stated on the Empire State Building’s official website.
“Being a prominent part of the New York City skyline since 1976, the changing lights of the Empire State Building have fascinated people worldwide for many years,” the website of the iconic structure mentions. “We have a tradition of altering the light colors to acknowledge significant events, holidays, and organizations throughout the calendar year.”
Pope Francis’ death marks the end to his 12-year papacy as the 266th pope and spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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.
