Vatican Correspondent Ashley Norohna on the Legacy of Pope Francis (Morning Air)

Reporting from Rome, Relevant Radio correspondent Ashley Noronha shared an intimate glimpse of the scene from Vatican City, where thousands of pilgrims and tourists gathered under the shadow of the Pope’s passing.   “The square is still beautifully adorned with Easter flowers,” Noronha described, “tulips from the Netherlands line the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica. But today, joy is mingled with grief.” Among the crowd, some are just learning the news. Others: like a Lebanese pilgrim who filmed the Pope’s Easter appearance from the day before remain in stunned disbelief. “But I just saw him,” she told Ashley.   On what now appears to have been a providential farewell, Pope Francis rode through the square in the open popemobile on Easter Sunday. Though visibly weak and his voice frail, he greeted the faithful one last time. “There’s a sense,” Noronha noted, “that the Lord gave him this final moment with his people.”   Among those blessed to see him were students from the University of Mary’s Rome campus, and even U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his family, who shared a brief visit and received Rosaries and Easter gifts from the Holy Father just hours before his death.   Reflecting on her years covering the Vatican, Noronha recalled the Pope’s legacy as a pontiff of action and mercy. “Pope Francis emphasized the corporal works of mercy,” she said, “and lived as a shepherd with a heart for the poor.” He also had a profound devotion to the Blessed Mother, regularly visiting the Basilica of St. Mary Major before and after every apostolic journey.   Though he is gone, the spirit of Pope Francis lives on in his unwavering plea for peace and compassion. “In nearly every address,” Noronha said, “he asked the world to pray for peace. That will be his enduring legacy.”