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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pilgrimage by Pope John Paul II

Aired October 07, 2003 - 05:09   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk now about the pilgrimage by the pope, John Paul II. He's going to pray for peace.
Our Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci tells us the pope is in Pompeii at a shrine to the Virgin Mary -- how is he doing, Alessio?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, the pope reached Pompeii about 45 minutes ago. He left from the Vatican with a helicopter. He lifted off from the helipad at the Vatican. A short ride all the way down to Pompeii, where he arrived, 30,000 pilgrims or more, perhaps, awaited him there.

This is the second time the pope travels to Pompeii. The first time was in 1979, just a year after he was elected pope. Back then he was, of course, a vigorous man. He spent there a half a day, delivered five speeches. This trip this time quite shorter, three hours, less than three hours in Pompeii. He will return here back at the Vatican later today.

The pope will lead a prayer in dedication of justice and peace. There is a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Pompeii, one of the most important ones around the world. The people there praying for peace and justice. Interestingly enough, about peace, the pope is one of the finalists, if you want, one of the candidates to receive the Nobel Peace Prize next Friday and there is perhaps an irony here that the people is praying for peace on this particular day.

This trip to Pompeii, of course, is another indication that despite his frail health, despite his physical limitations, the pope is, indeed, continuing to travel around the world. This is the, the pope's trip to Pompeii also an indication that despite the fact that his doctor, his medical doctors are advising him to take some rest and not to travel that much anymore, he still wants to do it. And even on Sunday when he celebrated a canonization ceremony in Rome, he said that god be willing he would travel to Pompeii and, indeed, today he's making this pilgrimage to this town in southern Italy -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, Alessio, we're seeing live pictures of the pope right now. His head is completely down. You know, just looking at him, he just doesn't look well.

VINCI: You know, pictures sometimes can lie. I mean there is no secret, this is a sick man. You know, he has been shot. He has gone through surgery so many times. He's got Parkinson's Disease. This man is stooped. He does look frail. He is frail. But those people who have met him closely, who have seen him closely, even in recent days, do tell us that he is alert, he is well aware of what is going on around him. He is able to respond to people talking to him. Of course because of his position, he is sometimes not aware of what's happening, perhaps, behind him.

But he is definitely a man who is keeping really in touch with what's going on around him. And, indeed, Vatican officials are telling us that he is a man who still calls the shots at the Vatican. He is a man who still really is in charge down there, perhaps not on the day to day basis, but on large issues, he is still the man in charge -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Alessio Vinci reporting live for us from Rome.

The pope, of course, in Pompeii.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired October 7, 2003 - 05:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk now about the pilgrimage by the pope, John Paul II. He's going to pray for peace.
Our Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci tells us the pope is in Pompeii at a shrine to the Virgin Mary -- how is he doing, Alessio?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, the pope reached Pompeii about 45 minutes ago. He left from the Vatican with a helicopter. He lifted off from the helipad at the Vatican. A short ride all the way down to Pompeii, where he arrived, 30,000 pilgrims or more, perhaps, awaited him there.

This is the second time the pope travels to Pompeii. The first time was in 1979, just a year after he was elected pope. Back then he was, of course, a vigorous man. He spent there a half a day, delivered five speeches. This trip this time quite shorter, three hours, less than three hours in Pompeii. He will return here back at the Vatican later today.

The pope will lead a prayer in dedication of justice and peace. There is a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Pompeii, one of the most important ones around the world. The people there praying for peace and justice. Interestingly enough, about peace, the pope is one of the finalists, if you want, one of the candidates to receive the Nobel Peace Prize next Friday and there is perhaps an irony here that the people is praying for peace on this particular day.

This trip to Pompeii, of course, is another indication that despite his frail health, despite his physical limitations, the pope is, indeed, continuing to travel around the world. This is the, the pope's trip to Pompeii also an indication that despite the fact that his doctor, his medical doctors are advising him to take some rest and not to travel that much anymore, he still wants to do it. And even on Sunday when he celebrated a canonization ceremony in Rome, he said that god be willing he would travel to Pompeii and, indeed, today he's making this pilgrimage to this town in southern Italy -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, Alessio, we're seeing live pictures of the pope right now. His head is completely down. You know, just looking at him, he just doesn't look well.

VINCI: You know, pictures sometimes can lie. I mean there is no secret, this is a sick man. You know, he has been shot. He has gone through surgery so many times. He's got Parkinson's Disease. This man is stooped. He does look frail. He is frail. But those people who have met him closely, who have seen him closely, even in recent days, do tell us that he is alert, he is well aware of what is going on around him. He is able to respond to people talking to him. Of course because of his position, he is sometimes not aware of what's happening, perhaps, behind him.

But he is definitely a man who is keeping really in touch with what's going on around him. And, indeed, Vatican officials are telling us that he is a man who still calls the shots at the Vatican. He is a man who still really is in charge down there, perhaps not on the day to day basis, but on large issues, he is still the man in charge -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Alessio Vinci reporting live for us from Rome.

The pope, of course, in Pompeii.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com