Cardinal Edward Egan, Former NY Bishop, Dies At 82

New York's former Archbishop Edward Egan passed away Thursday at the age of 82.

Cardinal Egan served as the Archbishop for New York from 2000 to 2009, and was considered to be a guiding spiritual light following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers in lower Manhattan that thousands dead.

According to Reuters, the Cardinal was rushed to NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City after suffering cardiac arrest at his home. The former archbishop was pronounced dead at 2:20 p.m. at the hospital.

Several leaders in New York and beyond have offered their condolences for Egan's passing, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said in a statement: "Cardinal Egan spread love and knowledge, and brought comfort to countless New Yorkers and others across the country and the world who sought his guidance and counsel – especially in the aftermath of 9/11."

A public visitation for Egan will be available next week at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, where Cardinal Timothy Dolan will deliver the homily and preside over Egan's funeral mass.

Egan will then be laid to rest under the main altar at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Dolan, New York City's current archbishop, also offered a statement following Egan's passing, saying: "He loved this city, he loved his priests and his sisters and the parishes and especially the people."

CBS News interviewed those mourners who had gathered outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral to pay their respects to Egan, and one visitor, Olga Nikiciuk, told the media outlet: "I came today to just give thanks for this wonderful Archbishop that we had who led us through turbulent times."