Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
In Canada, Some 200,000 Young People Gather For Pope's World Youth Day
Aired July 26, 2002 - 12:44 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Canada, some 200,000 young people gathered for the pope's World Youth Day. Pope John Paul II opened festivities yesterday, and is expected to meet with several young people today.
Our Frank Buckley is live from Toronto. He has been there where the pope is. He has more for us.
Hi, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra, those young people you are talking about, 14 young people, who are part of the World Youth Day activities here in Toronto, going to Strawberry Island to meet with the pope, to have lunch with the pope today. That's one of the activities that the pope is involved in today, not much of a public schedule. Yesterday, quite a different story here, though, at exhibition place, where the pope was here for the official papal welcoming ceremony, the pope arriving in the pope mobile, greeted by some 375,000 young people -- that's the crowd estimate -- of people who are here to see the pope, to hear him speak.
Among those who are here, Isabel Correa and Nicholas Papalardo. And first we should say that Isabel on Tuesday at the welcoming ceremony at the airport, you got to meet the pope.
Tell us what that was like?
ISABEL CORREA, MET THE POPE: Well, it was an unbelievable experience. I wasn't expecting it, but when I was in line, oh, my God, I'm going to meet the pope, and I'm walking up, and what will I say to him? What do I do? What do I say? And then finally, it's just, you know, it's a moment of grace , and you come in, and I knelt down and I kissed his hand and told him how much I thanked him, and how much I loved him and thank you for having inspired my vocation, and I was really happy to do that. You just look at, he had a look of holiness in his eyes. That is just amazing.
BUCKLEY: You are studying to be a sister. How do you think you will relate that moment in the years ahead?
CORREA: He's a man that has inspired me tremendously. Religious life is not something I, you know, was looking forward to. But when I was in Rome, I heard his words, don't be afraid, and now all I want to do is become a Salesian sister of St. John Bosco.
BUCKLEY: All right, wonderful. Nicholas, you yesterday had this incredible opportunity to speak before this gigantic crowd, and then to personally thank the pope on behalf of all these young people. Tell us what that experience was like.
NICOLAS PAPPALARDO, MET THE POPE: That's correct. Well, meeting the pope is like visiting your favorite grandfather, and like your favorite grandfather, he always has the wisdom, the right things to say, and it's a wisdom that's rooted in his genuine love for young people, it's rooted in his life experience and in his fond recollection for being a young person, and of course, in the graces that he receives from God.
BUCKLEY: You must have been kind of nervous speaking before nearly 400,000 people.
PAPPALARDO: Amazingly, it was a calm delivery. I was very relaxed. I think the holy spirit was working through me and just got me through it. My goal was simply to express the sentiment of everyone there.
BUCKLEY: You have a special memento here that was presented to you by the pope, a rosary. How special will that be in your family?
PAPPALARDO: Well, the pope has a tendency of giving out rosaries to every one who goes to see him, and already, it's been put to good use. Last night, I pulled it out to pray with a friend of mine who has a sister in law in the hospital, and a rosary is a very special tradition in the Catholic faith, and this will obviously be a family memento, I'm sure.
BUCKLEY: Nicholas and Isabel, thank you very much for joining us. A really exciting and powerful moment for both of them this week when they had a chance to meet the pope. As they said, some 14 young people today having lunch with the pope on Strawberry Island.
PHILLIPS: Frank, pretty amazing experience. Thank you, our Frank Buckley there with the pope.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
