Flags Ordered at Half Staff All Week Long in New York; Here’s Why

In a rare move, Governor Hochul has ordered all flags in New York to fly at half mast for the entire week.

While it's common for the governor to honor a tragedy by lowering flags throughout the state, the observance usually only lasts for 24 hours. Longer periods of mourning are traditionally reserved for serious tragedies or the death of a high-profile leader. The last time flags were lowered for such a long period of time was when President Jimmy Carter passed away in December.

American flags flew at half mast for 30 days in honor of the late president, although flags were temporarily raised on January 20 for the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th US president.

Why are Flags in New York State at Half Mast This Week?

On Monday, Governor Hochul ordered all flags in New York State to be lowered for an indeterminate amount of time. Now, it appears that the flags will remain at half mast until Saturday.

The display of mourning is due to the death of Pope Francis, who died on Monday morning from a stroke and heart failure. The 88-year-old religious leader was seen in public for the last time just hours earlier, addressing Catholics on Easter Sunday.

Governor Hochul, a catholic, mourned the death of Pope Francis, whom she first met in 2015 during his historic visit to New York. Last year, the governor traveled to the Vatican as a participant in the Pontifical Summit to address climate change. Hochul says that Pope Francis' leadership "transcended religious boundaries,” showing compassion for all, including the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants and those in prison.

Flags were ordered to be lowered throughout New York from Monday through the date of the pope's funeral services, which are currently planned to take place on Saturday.