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American Morning
Pope's Health Declining
Aired April 01, 2005 - 08:00 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: From every corner of the world today, prayers this morning as the faithful look for a miracle to save the pope. John Paul II fighting for his life after another severe health setback overnight. The latest on his condition straight ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. Another busy day here on a Friday morning. I'm Bill Hemmer. Soledad is off today.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello filling in.
Good morning to you.
HEMMER: Also, Jack's with us, too, as well.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
HEMMER: We'll get back to this in a moment here.
First, the news from the Vatican. On alert this hour as the pope's health condition continues to deteriorate. Here is what we know from Italy. The most recent update on his condition came about two and a half hours ago, about 5:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Vatican saying the pope is conscious and serene. He's described as being in very serious condition. His blood pressure is unstable.
The pope has asked not to go back to the hospital, staying instead at the papal residence in Vatican City. And surrounded there, too, by a team of doctors. The pope said to be suffering from septic shock, which is low blood flow due to an overwhelming infection in his organs.
Let's get to Rome again this hour and Jim Bittermann for an update on what he is hearing from Italy -- Jim, hello again.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.
In fact, just a cascade of medical problems for the pope, beginning about 18 or 20 hours ago with the detection of this urinary infection. That was followed by the announcement that the pope had suffered septic shock and then heart failure and that -- the announcement that the Vatican, the most recent announcement from the Vatican spokesman indicating that the pope is suffering from unstable blood pressure and what the Vatican spokesman said were altered medical parameters without further explanation.
The Vatican spokesman, of course, is a medical doctor himself and also someone who's been with the pope for 26 years, either as a reporter or as the papal spokesman. And as he was talking about the pope's condition this morning, he broke into tears, something that no one has ever seen him do before. And at the same time almost, the head of the papal press corps also broke into tears here trying to -- as he was describing the pope's condition.
So a lot of people here are very sad to see what's happening this morning and how the pope is changing so very quickly before their eyes -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jim, I mentioned that the pope has chosen to stay at Vatican City, not going think to Gemelli Hospital, which he has done twice in the past two months.
Can we read significance into that decision, Jim?
BITTERMANN: Yes and no. I mean the fact is that the Vatican now is practically an intensive care ward in itself. There is an area behind the papal apartments that, in fact, has been changed with a lot of medical equipment, that is -- essentially is about as good as you'd get in a hospital. About the only thing that they really need to go to the hospital for now, I am told by doctors, is, in fact, to -- for some kind of surgery, if there were -- the pope needed some kind of operation. Clearly, that's not the case with what the situation is with the pope this morning.
The other thing is, though, it should be noted, is that popes almost have never died outside the Vatican. There may have been a few historical times when that happened, but almost always they've died either in the Vatican, in the residence of the Vatican, or in the Castle Gondolfo, which is where Paul VI was when he died. That's the papal summer residence.
There's this feeling, I think, that the pope should be in his right place as he passes on. And, of course, the other thing that's happening here is the pope can command medical resources that the normal person couldn't. The fact is he's got this medical care facility set up, but he's also got some of the best specialists in Italy who are over at the Vatican today attending to him -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jim, thanks.
Jim Bittermann in Rome.
We'll be back to you again a bit later this hour -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And for further explanation of the pope's medical condition, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us now live -- good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: You've heard the symptoms. We've been listening to them all morning. As a doctor, how concerned are you? GUPTA: Very concerned, Carol. I think for some time now people have been concerned about the pope, really, since the beginning of February, when he was first admitted to the hospital for 10 days. But certainly the events over the last 24 hours, 18 to 24 hours very concerning.
First, starting with this high fever, then trying to find the source of this high fever. Initially, at least, isolating it to the urinary tract. But you remember they told us yesterday even that he had a period of low blood pressure yesterday. That was very concerning because to me that means that he may have started to develop a more body wide infection, if you will. They call that septic shock.
And that, you know, in someone of his age, his medical condition, very concerned -- Carol.
COSTELLO: He's inside the Vatican in a hospital room in there. If he were in a hospital, he would be in intensive care.
What is it like for him? Is he hooked up to machines now?
GUPTA: You know, I don't know. You know, I don't -- because I haven't seen the pope and we're getting -- as -- we're getting sparse information, as you know, from the Vatican. You're right, though, in, you know, here in the United States, a man in this condition would certainly be in an intensive care unit. He would have medications hanging to increase his blood pressure. He would have medications hanging to fight his infection, all these sorts of things. He may have a ventilator in the room or even connected.
I don't know if any of those things are happening at the Vatican. The Vatican has quite good medical facilities, but it's unclear exactly what's going on. But, you know, it's concerning. You know, the question earlier about whether or not he should be in a hospital or at the Vatican, just so hard to say. On one hand, you could say optimistically it's good that they haven't taken him to the hospital. On a more pessimistic note, which I think is probably the more sure note at this point, it probably means he just wanted to stay there at the Vatican.
COSTELLO: We've heard this term septic shock.
What is that?
GUPTA: Septic shock basically means that when an infection, a bacterial infection has actually left a particular area of the body and become an overwhelming infection in the body, in the entire body. It really gets into the bloodstream. It can lead to low blood pressure, which subsequently leads to low blood flow to the organs, including the kidneys, the liver and the brain.
And that's why I've been a little bit concerned about the statement saying the pope is still lucid. If you're having low blood flow to the brain, it's unlikely that he is lucid in the sense that he can, you know, carry on conversation, conduct his activities and that sort of thing. That probably just doesn't seem consistent to me -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sanjay Gupta, thank you.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: The faithful around the world are praying for the pope this morning. He has led the Roman Catholic Church for more than 26 years. And, again, as we watch the live picture from the Vatican, we want to speak with William Kerr, executive director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center down in Washington, D.C., also a friend here at AMERICAN MORNING.
Monsignor, good morning to you.
I just want to get your thoughts on how you are considering the man at this moment.
MONSIGNOR WILLIAM KERR, POPE JOHN PAUL II CULTURAL CENTER: Good morning, Bill.
I am considering the man as I think many Catholics are considering the man, as a part of the family, so to speak. We're keeping vigil. I think Catholics are very concerned. This is a serious moment in this journey that the pope has been taking. And we're relating to him very much like a member of the family. We've known him for all these years. He's been in our homes. He's been in our cities. He's met us, he's talked to us, he's expressed his concern for us and I think all of us are feeling very, very human about this man, whom we care about and care about much as a family member.
HEMMER: If that's how we reflect, Monsignor, how does he want the world to reflect on his life?
KERR: Well, I think his whole vision has been one of a human solidarity. It's a word that he's very familiar with from his polish backgrounds. I think he's preached that everywhere he's gone. I've recently spoken to ambassadors here in Washington from places such as Thailand and Egypt, and they've expressed to me how moving and how very, very uplifting his visits were to a Buddhist country, in the case of Thailand; to a largely Muslim country, in the case of Egypt. And I think that's true of people around the world, that this man has been a person who has made a mark on the consciences and the hearts of people everywhere.
And I think if -- that's the way he would want to be remembered, that maybe he's made a difference in the way humanity thinks about itself and the way humanity may move forward.
HEMMER: Yes, the last time you were with him, if memory serves me, it was this past fall.
Was it October or November?
KERR: November, Bill. HEMMER: Yes. And reflect on your time with him, what sort of condition he was in and perhaps the conversation you had at that point, Monsignor.
KERR: Well, his condition was, of course, he was infirm by reason of his complicated patterns of ill health. His Parkinson's kept him in a state of almost constant involuntary musculature motion. But his warmth was very evident and he reached out to people. He particularly enjoyed being with some of the children who were in the group with us. He greeted people and he was very, very alert. As he looked and saw people whom he recognized but had not seen for a while, he extended a warm hand of greeting.
There was no doubt in my mind that he knew what he was involved with in terms of the people and he was very energized by the presence of people who came to see him and to be with him.
HEMMER: Your cultural center down in Washington, D.C. will essentially be the focus point in this country for American Catholics as they remember his legacy and try to continue the teachings that he's worked for over the past 26 years as pontiff.
How do you think -- maybe in the later stages of his life, did he view the American church favorably?
KERR: Oh, I think he did. I think he saw the American church as a very important church in the world. For instance, the reason this cultural center that I'm heading in Washington, D.C., the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, is in America is because the pope wanted it to be in America. He described Washington and America as the crossroads of the world.
I think he worried about the church. I think this is a man of great convictions, strong faith, strong beliefs and I think he really realized that this is the country that's having a profound impact on the world. Whether we like it or not, whether it's for good or not, we are the country that's pivotal. And I think he had great belief and great confidence in American Catholics and in Americans as such. But he realized that we were, you know, buffeted by the many trends of our times. We were challenged by the opportunities of our times.
I think he wanted a very firmly planted perspective, if you will, where faith could intersect with culture and the wisdom of faith could have an impact on the culture of this very special country. I think he loved this country.
HEMMER: Monsignor Kerr, thanks.
William Kerr, executive director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington.
KERR: Thank you.
HEMMER: Always a pleasure to speak with you.
Back to Vatican City. In the middle of your screen there, what looks like a brown three story building -- it's actually much larger than that in person -- that is the papal residence and that is our understanding, right now, where Pope John Paul II has chosen to stay there, as opposed to going back to Gemelli Hospital. We will not leave this story for long. It is our top story throughout the morning here.
Back to the other headlines though, and Kelly Wallace -- Kelly, hello.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Bill.
Good morning again, everyone.
Here are some of those other stories now in the news.
The tug of war in the Terri Schiavo saga continues now over her burial. Michael Schiavo plans to have his wife's body cremated in a private ceremony without his in-laws and the ashes brought to Pennsylvania. The Schindlers want their daughter buried in Florida. An autopsy is now underway to determine the extent of her brain damage. Results are expected within weeks. More on this with Carol and Bill in just a moment.
The palace in Monaco says there is only a very slim chance the ailing Prince Rainier will recover. The 81-year-old prince, who is Europe's longest reigning monarch, has been hospitalized for more than three weeks for heart, lung and kidney problems. His son, Prince Albert, has already taken over royal powers.
The new president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, says one of his main goals will be to cut world poverty. The outgoing deputy defense secretary won unanimous approval Thursday. His nomination initially caused criticism abroad, especially from countries opposed to the war in Iraq. Wolfowitz officially takes over for James Wolfensohn on June 1.
Former President Bill Clinton making his first public appearance since his surgery. The former president was given a humanitarian award Thursday for his work in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS. The appearance comes three weeks after his surgery to remove scar tissue and fluid buildup in one of his lungs.
And you don't want to forget this. It will be time to change your clocks this weekend. That's right, daylight savings time begins in the United States at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, local time. And that means spring forward an hour, and everybody loses an hour's sleep. That is not good news -- Chad Myers.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, well, you know.
WALLACE: So give us some good news when it comes to the weather.
MYERS: Probably you don't want that hour, anyway. It's going to be so ugly in parts of New York City about that time.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Once again we're keeping a close watch on a breaking story out of Rome. Pope John Paul II said to be in very grave condition. He's in the Vatican right now. If he were in a hospital, he would be in intensive care. We'll have the latest details for you straight ahead.
HEMMER: Also, Terri Schiavo's family says they begged to be by her side when she died. They also say their wish was denied by her husband. Michael Schiavo's attorney -- his side of the story is up next here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Taking a live look at Vatican City and St. Peter's Square. You can see the faithful gathered there. Pope John Paul inside. He is said to be in "grave condition" at this hour. The 84- year-old pope taking a turn for the worse overnight.
Of course, we'll be keeping a close eye on this situation throughout the morning.
HEMMER: We certainly will.
Seventeen minutes past the hour now, Carol.
Our other top story this morning is the autopsy being performed on Terri Schiavo. The results expected in a few weeks. The severely brain damaged woman died yesterday at age 41. And hours after her death, legions of long time supporters received a heartfelt thanks from her father.
Here's Sean Callebs again this morning in Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As a Florida sun set, supporters of Terri Schiavo began trickling in, many emotionally drained.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew it was inevitable, but I just felt that the outcome was not good.
CALLEBS: In large part, they were the same ones who paraded in front of the Pinellas Park hospice the last two weeks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Schindlers feel like our family. Every night Mr. Schindler would come by and thank us. I hugged him several times. I shook his hand.
CALLEBS: Terri Schiavo's father watched for the past 13 days as his daughter slowly died. He hadn't planned to attend this service, but said he felt an obligation.
ROBERT SCHINDLER, TERRI'S FATHER: Thank you.
Thank you.
You've given our family so much support and you got us through some real tough times.
CALLEBS: Many of the speakers at the service acted as spiritual advisers for the family. Terri Schiavo was remembered as courageous, a fighter, someone whose memory has touched a number of lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heaven has now received Terri Schiavo and we know that.
CALLEBS: The memorial was punctuated with prayers and music. And before Bob Schindler left, he wanted those assembled to know...
SCHINDLER: I will never forget you all and I just thank you so, so much. And Terri thanks you.
CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN, Pinellas Park, Florida.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: We are told that Michael Schiavo held his wife in his arms as she died about 24 hours ago.
And George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney, was in the room when Terri died. He's our guest again in Clearwater.
And good morning to you.
When was the last contact you had with Michael, George?
GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: I spoke with Michael yesterday early evening.
HEMMER: Early evening.
How was he doing at that time?
FELOS: I think he's still in shock. It's, as you can understand, a very difficult time for him emotionally. He's grieving the loss of his wife. I just hope he's getting some rest and starting, at least starting to be able to cope with this.
HEMMER: How did he arrive at the decision to be in the room with Terri without her family, without her parents, brother and sister?
FELOS: Well, first of all, her parents weren't at the hospice facility or near the grounds at the time of Terri's death, is my understanding. The -- Michael, who had been with Terri, all of us, most of the night, was asked to leave the room so Terri's siblings could visit her and they were with her almost two hours up until the time of her death.
At that time, we were approached by the hospice administrator, who said Michael, you're going to have to come now if you want to see Terri alive again. And she also said that the brother had refused to leave the room when the nurses asked him to leave so they could do an assessment and got into a dispute with the police and the brother suggested that the police be in the room with the brother at the time of Terri's death. And just Michael at that moment said no, Terri is not going to die with police officers at her beside or in an atmosphere of conflict or acrimony. And that's why he asked that they not be there.
And, in fact, Terri did die a very peaceful, calm and loving death, surrounded by Michael and hospice care workers. And that's what she deserved, a death with dignity.
HEMMER: Help me get a time frame here between when the hospice worker came to you and said you must go now and Terri's passing.
How many minutes transpired there?
FELOS: I would say no more than 10 minutes.
HEMMER: Was there ever an effort to put a phone call to her parents during that 10 minute period?
FELOS: I don't know. I don't believe her parents were at the facility. You know, you have to remember, too, it was obvious to everyone, to the parents, to the siblings, to -- it was obvious to everyone in the hours preceding this, in the 12 hours before, that Terri was in -- approaching her final death process and really could have died, could have died at any time.
Why the parents were not at the facility at that time, I don't know.
HEMMER: As he was preparing himself for the passing of Terri at some point, how much consideration did he give to being in that room by himself?
FELOS: His overriding concern and consideration was Terri. This is a man who's watching his wife die and wants to provide for her what all of us deserve, a peaceful and calm death. He did his best to accommodate the family's wishes for visitation. When we were in the room and the police officer let us know that anyone from Terri's family wanted to visit, Michael immediately said let's go down the hall and we moved out. They had as much time to visit as they wanted to.
It was a very, very difficult and trying situation, and I think Michael did the best he could under the circumstances.
HEMMER: But we are watching a very public feud continue again today.
Do you see a truce being called between these two families at some point, a reconciliation?
FELOS: I don't know. The -- I certainly hope so. The capacity to heal and mend, I think, transcends bitterness and dispute and differences. And I would hope that that's possible, that this family receive and are graced with some sort of healing in the future.
HEMMER: George Felos is the attorney for Michael Schiavo.
Thanks for your time this morning.
FELOS: Thank you.
HEMMER: Here's Carol.
COSTELLO: In a moment, we'll take you back to this morning's breaking news. Pope John Paul II's health has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. We'll have the latest details for you. That's coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Of course, we're still monitoring the pope's condition in Rome.
But we wanted to check in with Jack and his Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: The question has to do with how history will remember the Terri Schiavo passing.
Ed in New Jersey writes: "History will probably view the Terri Schiavo episode as some kind of circus like outburst of pseudo- religious fundamentalism. A lot about hate, not much about love. Sort of like the Salem witch trials."
Mike in Minnesota: "Terri Schiavo is going to have a major impact on history. It brought this country to a grinding halt to self-evaluate life ending situations."
Donna in New York writes: "Hopefully the Schiavo tragedy will one day mark the time in American history that average Americans woke up to the idea that if they don't get involved in their government, the extremists will."
And Sue in Michigan weighs in with: "The Terri Schiavo case will be remembered as proof of Clint Eastwood's recent hypothesis in 'Time' magazine -- if you go far enough to the right, you'll meet the same kind of idiots coming from the left."
Clint gets it, you know what I'm saying?
HEMMER: Wow!
Thank you, Jack.
Back to the Vatican. More on the breaking news that we're getting now. Pope John Paul II said to be in very serious condition. We'll take you live to Rome as we continue after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Again, a live picture from Vatican City. If you are just joining us and waking this morning, we are following the latest condition of the pope, apparently overnight taking a turn for the worse.
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Aired April 1, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: From every corner of the world today, prayers this morning as the faithful look for a miracle to save the pope. John Paul II fighting for his life after another severe health setback overnight. The latest on his condition straight ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone. Another busy day here on a Friday morning. I'm Bill Hemmer. Soledad is off today.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello filling in.
Good morning to you.
HEMMER: Also, Jack's with us, too, as well.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
HEMMER: We'll get back to this in a moment here.
First, the news from the Vatican. On alert this hour as the pope's health condition continues to deteriorate. Here is what we know from Italy. The most recent update on his condition came about two and a half hours ago, about 5:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Vatican saying the pope is conscious and serene. He's described as being in very serious condition. His blood pressure is unstable.
The pope has asked not to go back to the hospital, staying instead at the papal residence in Vatican City. And surrounded there, too, by a team of doctors. The pope said to be suffering from septic shock, which is low blood flow due to an overwhelming infection in his organs.
Let's get to Rome again this hour and Jim Bittermann for an update on what he is hearing from Italy -- Jim, hello again.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill.
In fact, just a cascade of medical problems for the pope, beginning about 18 or 20 hours ago with the detection of this urinary infection. That was followed by the announcement that the pope had suffered septic shock and then heart failure and that -- the announcement that the Vatican, the most recent announcement from the Vatican spokesman indicating that the pope is suffering from unstable blood pressure and what the Vatican spokesman said were altered medical parameters without further explanation.
The Vatican spokesman, of course, is a medical doctor himself and also someone who's been with the pope for 26 years, either as a reporter or as the papal spokesman. And as he was talking about the pope's condition this morning, he broke into tears, something that no one has ever seen him do before. And at the same time almost, the head of the papal press corps also broke into tears here trying to -- as he was describing the pope's condition.
So a lot of people here are very sad to see what's happening this morning and how the pope is changing so very quickly before their eyes -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jim, I mentioned that the pope has chosen to stay at Vatican City, not going think to Gemelli Hospital, which he has done twice in the past two months.
Can we read significance into that decision, Jim?
BITTERMANN: Yes and no. I mean the fact is that the Vatican now is practically an intensive care ward in itself. There is an area behind the papal apartments that, in fact, has been changed with a lot of medical equipment, that is -- essentially is about as good as you'd get in a hospital. About the only thing that they really need to go to the hospital for now, I am told by doctors, is, in fact, to -- for some kind of surgery, if there were -- the pope needed some kind of operation. Clearly, that's not the case with what the situation is with the pope this morning.
The other thing is, though, it should be noted, is that popes almost have never died outside the Vatican. There may have been a few historical times when that happened, but almost always they've died either in the Vatican, in the residence of the Vatican, or in the Castle Gondolfo, which is where Paul VI was when he died. That's the papal summer residence.
There's this feeling, I think, that the pope should be in his right place as he passes on. And, of course, the other thing that's happening here is the pope can command medical resources that the normal person couldn't. The fact is he's got this medical care facility set up, but he's also got some of the best specialists in Italy who are over at the Vatican today attending to him -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jim, thanks.
Jim Bittermann in Rome.
We'll be back to you again a bit later this hour -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And for further explanation of the pope's medical condition, Dr. Sanjay Gupta joining us now live -- good morning.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: You've heard the symptoms. We've been listening to them all morning. As a doctor, how concerned are you? GUPTA: Very concerned, Carol. I think for some time now people have been concerned about the pope, really, since the beginning of February, when he was first admitted to the hospital for 10 days. But certainly the events over the last 24 hours, 18 to 24 hours very concerning.
First, starting with this high fever, then trying to find the source of this high fever. Initially, at least, isolating it to the urinary tract. But you remember they told us yesterday even that he had a period of low blood pressure yesterday. That was very concerning because to me that means that he may have started to develop a more body wide infection, if you will. They call that septic shock.
And that, you know, in someone of his age, his medical condition, very concerned -- Carol.
COSTELLO: He's inside the Vatican in a hospital room in there. If he were in a hospital, he would be in intensive care.
What is it like for him? Is he hooked up to machines now?
GUPTA: You know, I don't know. You know, I don't -- because I haven't seen the pope and we're getting -- as -- we're getting sparse information, as you know, from the Vatican. You're right, though, in, you know, here in the United States, a man in this condition would certainly be in an intensive care unit. He would have medications hanging to increase his blood pressure. He would have medications hanging to fight his infection, all these sorts of things. He may have a ventilator in the room or even connected.
I don't know if any of those things are happening at the Vatican. The Vatican has quite good medical facilities, but it's unclear exactly what's going on. But, you know, it's concerning. You know, the question earlier about whether or not he should be in a hospital or at the Vatican, just so hard to say. On one hand, you could say optimistically it's good that they haven't taken him to the hospital. On a more pessimistic note, which I think is probably the more sure note at this point, it probably means he just wanted to stay there at the Vatican.
COSTELLO: We've heard this term septic shock.
What is that?
GUPTA: Septic shock basically means that when an infection, a bacterial infection has actually left a particular area of the body and become an overwhelming infection in the body, in the entire body. It really gets into the bloodstream. It can lead to low blood pressure, which subsequently leads to low blood flow to the organs, including the kidneys, the liver and the brain.
And that's why I've been a little bit concerned about the statement saying the pope is still lucid. If you're having low blood flow to the brain, it's unlikely that he is lucid in the sense that he can, you know, carry on conversation, conduct his activities and that sort of thing. That probably just doesn't seem consistent to me -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Sanjay Gupta, thank you.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: The faithful around the world are praying for the pope this morning. He has led the Roman Catholic Church for more than 26 years. And, again, as we watch the live picture from the Vatican, we want to speak with William Kerr, executive director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center down in Washington, D.C., also a friend here at AMERICAN MORNING.
Monsignor, good morning to you.
I just want to get your thoughts on how you are considering the man at this moment.
MONSIGNOR WILLIAM KERR, POPE JOHN PAUL II CULTURAL CENTER: Good morning, Bill.
I am considering the man as I think many Catholics are considering the man, as a part of the family, so to speak. We're keeping vigil. I think Catholics are very concerned. This is a serious moment in this journey that the pope has been taking. And we're relating to him very much like a member of the family. We've known him for all these years. He's been in our homes. He's been in our cities. He's met us, he's talked to us, he's expressed his concern for us and I think all of us are feeling very, very human about this man, whom we care about and care about much as a family member.
HEMMER: If that's how we reflect, Monsignor, how does he want the world to reflect on his life?
KERR: Well, I think his whole vision has been one of a human solidarity. It's a word that he's very familiar with from his polish backgrounds. I think he's preached that everywhere he's gone. I've recently spoken to ambassadors here in Washington from places such as Thailand and Egypt, and they've expressed to me how moving and how very, very uplifting his visits were to a Buddhist country, in the case of Thailand; to a largely Muslim country, in the case of Egypt. And I think that's true of people around the world, that this man has been a person who has made a mark on the consciences and the hearts of people everywhere.
And I think if -- that's the way he would want to be remembered, that maybe he's made a difference in the way humanity thinks about itself and the way humanity may move forward.
HEMMER: Yes, the last time you were with him, if memory serves me, it was this past fall.
Was it October or November?
KERR: November, Bill. HEMMER: Yes. And reflect on your time with him, what sort of condition he was in and perhaps the conversation you had at that point, Monsignor.
KERR: Well, his condition was, of course, he was infirm by reason of his complicated patterns of ill health. His Parkinson's kept him in a state of almost constant involuntary musculature motion. But his warmth was very evident and he reached out to people. He particularly enjoyed being with some of the children who were in the group with us. He greeted people and he was very, very alert. As he looked and saw people whom he recognized but had not seen for a while, he extended a warm hand of greeting.
There was no doubt in my mind that he knew what he was involved with in terms of the people and he was very energized by the presence of people who came to see him and to be with him.
HEMMER: Your cultural center down in Washington, D.C. will essentially be the focus point in this country for American Catholics as they remember his legacy and try to continue the teachings that he's worked for over the past 26 years as pontiff.
How do you think -- maybe in the later stages of his life, did he view the American church favorably?
KERR: Oh, I think he did. I think he saw the American church as a very important church in the world. For instance, the reason this cultural center that I'm heading in Washington, D.C., the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, is in America is because the pope wanted it to be in America. He described Washington and America as the crossroads of the world.
I think he worried about the church. I think this is a man of great convictions, strong faith, strong beliefs and I think he really realized that this is the country that's having a profound impact on the world. Whether we like it or not, whether it's for good or not, we are the country that's pivotal. And I think he had great belief and great confidence in American Catholics and in Americans as such. But he realized that we were, you know, buffeted by the many trends of our times. We were challenged by the opportunities of our times.
I think he wanted a very firmly planted perspective, if you will, where faith could intersect with culture and the wisdom of faith could have an impact on the culture of this very special country. I think he loved this country.
HEMMER: Monsignor Kerr, thanks.
William Kerr, executive director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington.
KERR: Thank you.
HEMMER: Always a pleasure to speak with you.
Back to Vatican City. In the middle of your screen there, what looks like a brown three story building -- it's actually much larger than that in person -- that is the papal residence and that is our understanding, right now, where Pope John Paul II has chosen to stay there, as opposed to going back to Gemelli Hospital. We will not leave this story for long. It is our top story throughout the morning here.
Back to the other headlines though, and Kelly Wallace -- Kelly, hello.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Bill.
Good morning again, everyone.
Here are some of those other stories now in the news.
The tug of war in the Terri Schiavo saga continues now over her burial. Michael Schiavo plans to have his wife's body cremated in a private ceremony without his in-laws and the ashes brought to Pennsylvania. The Schindlers want their daughter buried in Florida. An autopsy is now underway to determine the extent of her brain damage. Results are expected within weeks. More on this with Carol and Bill in just a moment.
The palace in Monaco says there is only a very slim chance the ailing Prince Rainier will recover. The 81-year-old prince, who is Europe's longest reigning monarch, has been hospitalized for more than three weeks for heart, lung and kidney problems. His son, Prince Albert, has already taken over royal powers.
The new president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, says one of his main goals will be to cut world poverty. The outgoing deputy defense secretary won unanimous approval Thursday. His nomination initially caused criticism abroad, especially from countries opposed to the war in Iraq. Wolfowitz officially takes over for James Wolfensohn on June 1.
Former President Bill Clinton making his first public appearance since his surgery. The former president was given a humanitarian award Thursday for his work in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS. The appearance comes three weeks after his surgery to remove scar tissue and fluid buildup in one of his lungs.
And you don't want to forget this. It will be time to change your clocks this weekend. That's right, daylight savings time begins in the United States at 2:00 a.m. Sunday, local time. And that means spring forward an hour, and everybody loses an hour's sleep. That is not good news -- Chad Myers.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, well, you know.
WALLACE: So give us some good news when it comes to the weather.
MYERS: Probably you don't want that hour, anyway. It's going to be so ugly in parts of New York City about that time.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Once again we're keeping a close watch on a breaking story out of Rome. Pope John Paul II said to be in very grave condition. He's in the Vatican right now. If he were in a hospital, he would be in intensive care. We'll have the latest details for you straight ahead.
HEMMER: Also, Terri Schiavo's family says they begged to be by her side when she died. They also say their wish was denied by her husband. Michael Schiavo's attorney -- his side of the story is up next here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Taking a live look at Vatican City and St. Peter's Square. You can see the faithful gathered there. Pope John Paul inside. He is said to be in "grave condition" at this hour. The 84- year-old pope taking a turn for the worse overnight.
Of course, we'll be keeping a close eye on this situation throughout the morning.
HEMMER: We certainly will.
Seventeen minutes past the hour now, Carol.
Our other top story this morning is the autopsy being performed on Terri Schiavo. The results expected in a few weeks. The severely brain damaged woman died yesterday at age 41. And hours after her death, legions of long time supporters received a heartfelt thanks from her father.
Here's Sean Callebs again this morning in Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As a Florida sun set, supporters of Terri Schiavo began trickling in, many emotionally drained.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew it was inevitable, but I just felt that the outcome was not good.
CALLEBS: In large part, they were the same ones who paraded in front of the Pinellas Park hospice the last two weeks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Schindlers feel like our family. Every night Mr. Schindler would come by and thank us. I hugged him several times. I shook his hand.
CALLEBS: Terri Schiavo's father watched for the past 13 days as his daughter slowly died. He hadn't planned to attend this service, but said he felt an obligation.
ROBERT SCHINDLER, TERRI'S FATHER: Thank you.
Thank you.
You've given our family so much support and you got us through some real tough times.
CALLEBS: Many of the speakers at the service acted as spiritual advisers for the family. Terri Schiavo was remembered as courageous, a fighter, someone whose memory has touched a number of lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heaven has now received Terri Schiavo and we know that.
CALLEBS: The memorial was punctuated with prayers and music. And before Bob Schindler left, he wanted those assembled to know...
SCHINDLER: I will never forget you all and I just thank you so, so much. And Terri thanks you.
CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN, Pinellas Park, Florida.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: We are told that Michael Schiavo held his wife in his arms as she died about 24 hours ago.
And George Felos, Michael Schiavo's attorney, was in the room when Terri died. He's our guest again in Clearwater.
And good morning to you.
When was the last contact you had with Michael, George?
GEORGE FELOS, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: I spoke with Michael yesterday early evening.
HEMMER: Early evening.
How was he doing at that time?
FELOS: I think he's still in shock. It's, as you can understand, a very difficult time for him emotionally. He's grieving the loss of his wife. I just hope he's getting some rest and starting, at least starting to be able to cope with this.
HEMMER: How did he arrive at the decision to be in the room with Terri without her family, without her parents, brother and sister?
FELOS: Well, first of all, her parents weren't at the hospice facility or near the grounds at the time of Terri's death, is my understanding. The -- Michael, who had been with Terri, all of us, most of the night, was asked to leave the room so Terri's siblings could visit her and they were with her almost two hours up until the time of her death.
At that time, we were approached by the hospice administrator, who said Michael, you're going to have to come now if you want to see Terri alive again. And she also said that the brother had refused to leave the room when the nurses asked him to leave so they could do an assessment and got into a dispute with the police and the brother suggested that the police be in the room with the brother at the time of Terri's death. And just Michael at that moment said no, Terri is not going to die with police officers at her beside or in an atmosphere of conflict or acrimony. And that's why he asked that they not be there.
And, in fact, Terri did die a very peaceful, calm and loving death, surrounded by Michael and hospice care workers. And that's what she deserved, a death with dignity.
HEMMER: Help me get a time frame here between when the hospice worker came to you and said you must go now and Terri's passing.
How many minutes transpired there?
FELOS: I would say no more than 10 minutes.
HEMMER: Was there ever an effort to put a phone call to her parents during that 10 minute period?
FELOS: I don't know. I don't believe her parents were at the facility. You know, you have to remember, too, it was obvious to everyone, to the parents, to the siblings, to -- it was obvious to everyone in the hours preceding this, in the 12 hours before, that Terri was in -- approaching her final death process and really could have died, could have died at any time.
Why the parents were not at the facility at that time, I don't know.
HEMMER: As he was preparing himself for the passing of Terri at some point, how much consideration did he give to being in that room by himself?
FELOS: His overriding concern and consideration was Terri. This is a man who's watching his wife die and wants to provide for her what all of us deserve, a peaceful and calm death. He did his best to accommodate the family's wishes for visitation. When we were in the room and the police officer let us know that anyone from Terri's family wanted to visit, Michael immediately said let's go down the hall and we moved out. They had as much time to visit as they wanted to.
It was a very, very difficult and trying situation, and I think Michael did the best he could under the circumstances.
HEMMER: But we are watching a very public feud continue again today.
Do you see a truce being called between these two families at some point, a reconciliation?
FELOS: I don't know. The -- I certainly hope so. The capacity to heal and mend, I think, transcends bitterness and dispute and differences. And I would hope that that's possible, that this family receive and are graced with some sort of healing in the future.
HEMMER: George Felos is the attorney for Michael Schiavo.
Thanks for your time this morning.
FELOS: Thank you.
HEMMER: Here's Carol.
COSTELLO: In a moment, we'll take you back to this morning's breaking news. Pope John Paul II's health has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. We'll have the latest details for you. That's coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Of course, we're still monitoring the pope's condition in Rome.
But we wanted to check in with Jack and his Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: The question has to do with how history will remember the Terri Schiavo passing.
Ed in New Jersey writes: "History will probably view the Terri Schiavo episode as some kind of circus like outburst of pseudo- religious fundamentalism. A lot about hate, not much about love. Sort of like the Salem witch trials."
Mike in Minnesota: "Terri Schiavo is going to have a major impact on history. It brought this country to a grinding halt to self-evaluate life ending situations."
Donna in New York writes: "Hopefully the Schiavo tragedy will one day mark the time in American history that average Americans woke up to the idea that if they don't get involved in their government, the extremists will."
And Sue in Michigan weighs in with: "The Terri Schiavo case will be remembered as proof of Clint Eastwood's recent hypothesis in 'Time' magazine -- if you go far enough to the right, you'll meet the same kind of idiots coming from the left."
Clint gets it, you know what I'm saying?
HEMMER: Wow!
Thank you, Jack.
Back to the Vatican. More on the breaking news that we're getting now. Pope John Paul II said to be in very serious condition. We'll take you live to Rome as we continue after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Again, a live picture from Vatican City. If you are just joining us and waking this morning, we are following the latest condition of the pope, apparently overnight taking a turn for the worse.
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