From AP:
In the streets around the Vatican, where Pope Francis used to make impromptu outings, some of the shopkeepers are mourning the man they knew, not as the leader of a church or head of state, but as an ordinary person. They prayed for him while he was hospitalized, and now they miss him dearly.
“He had been our regular customer for more than seven years,” said Sebastian Padrón, an Argentine ice cream maker whose store is located around the corner from Francis’ austere hotel room in Vatican City. He recalled how close he and his family felt to Francis, who often gave gifts to his children. “The memory is wonderful, which is why it hurts so much,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday.