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CNN Live Today

Thousands say Farewell to Pope; Minutemen on Patrol

Aired April 05, 2005 - 11:00   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.


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Let's do this for you now, let's bring you up to date on what's going on in the news right now.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Waiting hours in line for a final moment with Pope John Paul II. A live picture there from St. Peter's Basilica. Tens of thousands of mourners waiting up to eight hours to view the pope's body. The solemn, steady stream of mourners will continue until the funeral on Friday. Details live from Rome just ahead.

Harvard University is selling its stake in a company with ties to Sudan. The decision follows pressure from a student activist pushing for disinvestment from Sudan. The government there is accused of genocide against black Africans in the Darfur region. Harvard is selling its shares of PetroChina because of the company's joint venture with Sudan.

A federal report says Boston's Big Dig tunnels are safe despite recent leaks. The Federal Highway Administration says the tunnels are structurally sound. The Big Dig project has been plagued problems, delays and massive cost overruns. It's $14 billion price tag makes it the most expensive highway project in U.S. history.

The Tar Heels were too much for the fighting Illini. North Carolina toppled Illinois last night to win the NCAA college basketball championship, the men's side, by the way. During the season Illinois tied the NCAA record with 37 wins. In the end, though, it was North Carolina by a score of 75-70.

SANCHEZ: That game the reason we are a little tired today, by the way.

KAGAN: Yes. Good game, though. Women play tonight, Michigan State and Baylor. Go women.

It is just after 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. in the West. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez.

It is an amazing sight. The line of mourners stretches for miles now. People by the tens of thousands paying their final respects to Pope John Paul II.

Rome is bracing for more than two million mourners that are expected to file past the pope's body. The public viewing continues until Friday.

The cardinals held their third meeting today, but set no date yet for their conclave. That's where they meet in seclusion, by the way, to try and select the next pope. The latest it can be held is April 22nd. And preparations are under way to provide security for the world dignitaries and throngs of faithful expected at Friday's funeral.

Now, for more on this tremendous outpouring of affection and the security challenges that lay ahead, considering how many police the Italians are going to have there, not to mention the security apparatus for all the different nations that are going to have their leaders there, wow, let's go to CNN's Diana Muriel. She's following the story in Rome.

Diana, over to you.

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rick, the crowd here being entertained by some singing occasionally. It's very, very loud indeed. And the crowd have been waiting as much as six hours to get to this stage.

They are moving along now, but it's going to take at least an hour before they actually get into the basilica and they can see the body of Pope John Paul II lying there in state. Only a few seconds, of course, whilst they had past in front of his body. And the queues have been like this for much of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MURIEL (voice-over): Monday morning, and the crowd at St. Peter's Square steadily growing, stretching back for more than a mile. They come from all over the country, all over the world. Polish- Canadian Annete Boguslawski.

ANNETE BOGUSLAWSKI, POLISH-CANADIAN PILGRIM: We've been here for I would say a little bit over two hours, and it feels like its been a few minutes.

MURIEL: This Argentian nun waiting in line since 7:00.

SISTER CONSOLATA, ARGENTINIAN PILGRIM: Even though everyone has to wait for hours, nobody minds.

MURIEL: The wait may be long, but when the line moves, you've got to keep up. By 10:00 a.m., it's starting to get hot. The authorities hand out bottles of water to those in the crowd, keeping the mood calm, but humored.

(on camera): And still they come in their tens of thousands. The long wait almost a penance for some of these pilgrims, here to say goodbye to their pope.

(voice-over): More than two million, maybe as many as four million are expected over the next few days, proving a headache for the authorities. Streets are barricaded, extra police bust in to manage the crowds. Three shuttle buses, two taking the pilgrims from the city's train station to the center of town. Free accommodations also at newly erected tent cities. As Rome's hotels fill up and put up their prices, a makeshift dormitory has also been established in an exhibition hall.

DIEDER HELSEN, BELGIAN PILGRIM: We don't have enough money to stay in an expensive hotels, so we heard there were cheap accommodation, or free accommodation.

MURIEL: It's basic, but according to this Italian girl, that's all part of the experience.

GAIA ALDI, ITALIAN PILGRIM: Because if we choose a hotel or something there, it was just a trip in Rome. In this way, we stay here to pray is the best thing that we can do now.

MURIEL: So a spiritual experience then for many on this final pilgrimage for their pope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURIEL: And as you can see from the conditions of the crowd having to wait, Rick, it's also something of an endurance test here, too.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Diana Muriel following that story for us.

And we've got some amazing pictures that we want to share with you now. Let's take you to the pope's homeland. And we want you to be able to listen in now as he is being remembered there among his fellow countrymen. Let's do this sound up.

(SINGING)

KAGAN: Once again -- once again, we have been watching and listening to a service in Warsaw, Poland, in honor of Pope John Paul II.

Spending time with this pope truly an extraordinary experience for a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Reverend John Bartunek had that opportunity not once, but twice, joining me now from Rome where he is pursuing graduate studies.

Father good morning.

REV. JOHN BARTUNEK, AUTHOR, "INSIDE THE PASSION": Good morning.

KAGAN: And good afternoon I should say to you as well there in Rome. As I understand it, your experience and encounter with Pope John Paul II not only affected you personally, but effected your life. It took a different direction.

BARTUNEK: Actually, it really did. The first time that I encountered the pope personally I wasn't even a Catholic. I was just a college student studying here, visiting Italy, studying here for a semester. And I went to midnight mass with Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica.

And I was about 20 yards away from him for the whole evening. And I didn't really understand everything that was happening, but one thing was clear to me that night, that this man was close to god. He was touching god during that mass.

No, amidst all the song and the lights and the art and the splendor and 10,000 people in the basilica, I was just mesmerized by looking at him. It stayed with me.

Later that year I had a chance to study in Poland, which was still under communist rule at the time. And there I saw his influence in statues and people, his pictures. People had hope because of the work he had done. That was the beginning of my real change in direction of my life.

I ended up becoming a Catholic, and then taking some steps to the seminary. And then I had a chance to meet him again when I was a seminarian studying here in Rome after, you know, his example had led me that far. And I was able to serve one of his masses -- two of his masses, actually, in St. Peter's Basilica.

This time I was next to him on the altar, I was with him. And I will never forget being able to greet him after those masses in the sacristy, you know, where I got to shake his hand and look into his eyes, and just say thank you for everything that he had done for me.

KAGAN: Taking a few steps back, does his service when he was a priest affect how you are pursuing the priesthood and the kind of priest you want to be?

BARTUNEK: Absolutely. Absolutely.

You know, the thing -- the thing about him is, when you are with him, no matter who you are, whether you are poor, an orphan, whether you are a diplomat, a king, when you look into his eyes you feel as if -- I mean, you just feel as if he believes in you. And he encourages you, and he believes that you can be great.

And throughout my years of formation before I was ordained to the priesthood, there were some tough years, and there were difficulties in the Church. And he was always a reference point.

I would look to him and I'd say, "There's a man who proves that it's worth giving your whole life to Christ, that you can really fulfill all your potential a as a man in the service of Christ." You can stand up for what you believe, and you can also be compassionate and understanding with others.

And he was a constant reference point like he was walking along beside me spiritually during those years of my formation. And even now, I still say to myself, "If I can be a priest like him, then I know I will be pleasing to god and I will do a lot of good."

He's the ideal. KAGAN: And as we look forward, the conclave, the date for it to begin hasn't started, the selection of the next pope. Whoever does become next pope is certainly going to have a tough act to follow. You as a priest, what are you looking for in the Church's next leader?

BARTUNEK: I am extremely optimistic about the next pope. You know, this pope, John Paul II, has done so much for the Church. He's brought the Church unto the avant-garde of the world.

He has modernized the Church. He has brought the Catholic Church to new places. He has changed the papacy.

And I have a feeling, I have a sense that the next pope is going to take the baton and go forward. You know, just the sense of being courageous, of opening up the doors of the Church, of opening up new ministries, of encouraging new movements in the Church, and of defending the Christian values and Christian morality in a way that the world can understand.

And, you know, the men who are the cardinals today, and the bishops today, most of them were chosen and appointed by Pope John Paul II. And they have that same spirit, that same optimism, that same belief that one man can make a difference, and one person can make a difference, and there can be meaning in life.

And even in the face of great difficulties, the war on terror, the questions of bioethics and moral issues, even in the face of those we can work through them, we can work together. The world can work together.

And Catholic Christians can work together with other Christians. That sense of optimism that this pope communicated and embodied, I think the next pope's going to have it because he spread it. This pope has done such a good job of making it contagious.

You know, all the brothers and other priests I studied with in my seminary, that's the attitude that we have. You know, we are ready to go out and do whatever we can. This sense of optimism and being out and being present to other people in the world.

KAGAN: Father John Bartunek from Rome. Thank you for sharing your experiences and also your enthusiasm. I think it's going to have meaning for a lot of people who are watching and listening today. Father, thank you.

BARTUNEK: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: There is a live event that's taking place right now. It's a Medal of Honor ceremony. We have been monitoring this for you to see if we could possibly dip in.

There it is. It's Donald Rumsfeld. He is going to be giving that Medal of Honor at the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, where he is holding this event.

He and the Army chief of staff are on hand. They are going to try and remember the bravery of one particular man, Sergeant First Class Paul Smith. He is the very first person of all the soldiers who have been to Iraq and all the soldiers who have been to Afghanistan since 9/11, the very first one to get the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He died in Iraq will defending his fellow soldiers. In fact, yesterday, President Bush posthumously awarded Sergeant Smith with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Here's some of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We count ourselves blessed to have soldiers like Sergeant Smith who put their lives on the line to advance the cause of freedom and protect the American people. Like every one of the men and women in uniform who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sergeant Paul Smith was a volunteer. We thank his family for the father, husband, and son and brother who can never be replaced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This is a remarkable story. So later in the hour we're going to do a couple of things. We're going to take you live to the Pentagon to get the very latest from there on this. And also, I had a chance to talk to the very men who were there the day that Sergeant Paul Smith lost his life.

I talked to them and filed a story on it. And I will share it with you right here in just a little bit -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We are looking forward to that.

Also, the Patriot Act, is it helping to prevent terrorism or is it trampling on your civil liberties? Today, the nation's top lawyer is on the hot seat, urging Congress to renew key provisions of the anti-terror law. Details on what it could mean for you just ahead.

SANCHEZ: Also, they say they are just a big neighborhood watch group trying to stop crime on America's border, but are the minutemen doing more harm than good, as some have asked? We will take a closer look.

KAGAN: And there's another report out on kids and television, why too much TV at home could be causing problems at school.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Some tough news in the news business. We are learning now that Peter Jennings, the anchorman for so many years at ABC News, has told his staff at "World News Tonight" that in fact he has lung cancer. Apparently Peter Jennings told his senior staff at the -- at the -- his crew yesterday afternoon that he was diagnosed with lung cancer. It's certainly a story that we're going to continue to follow for you here at CNN. The very latest information on this news just breaking reported by Associated Press moments ago that, in fact, he has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Daryn, over to you.

KAGAN: And we wish him well.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KAGAN: In his treatment and his recovery.

West Virginia is the latest stop for President Bush on his Social Security road tour. Mr. Bush is in Parkersburg, West Virginia, at this hour promoting his plan to overhaul Social Security.

Earlier, the president toured the Bureau of Public Debt to explain his comment that there is no Social Security trust fund. He says Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system in need of reform.

CNN "Security Watch" now. Top Bush administration figures are on Capitol Hill this hour. The attorney general and the FBI director are pressing Congress to renew lightning rod provisions of the Patriot Act.

Fifteen sections expire at the end of the year unless Congress takes action. Among them, the library provision. Secret warrants could allow police to find out what you are reading at the library or buying at the bookstore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: From the information provided by the Department of Justice, there has not been a request under the tangible things category for library or medical records. That has been an area of substantial concern to some. Would you see any problem on specifically excluding a reauthorization of the Patriot Act?

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The department has no interest in rummaging through the library records or the medical records of Americans. That is not something that we have an interest in.

SPECTER: Does that mean -- does that mean that you would agree to excluding them?

GONZALES: We do have an interest, however, in records that may help us capture terrorists. And there may be an occasion where having the tool of 215 (ph) access this kind of information may be very helpful to the department in dealing with a terrorist threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Efforts to kill parts of the Patriot Act have created an odd alliance between liberal and conservative groups. They argue the law is being used primarily outside the terrorism arena to try and snoop on Americans. As you heard, the attorney general strongly denies that.

Well, they say they are like a neighborhood watch group, except that they are looking out for crime along the border between the United States and Mexico. The Minuteman volunteer border patrol group on patrol and under scrutiny.

Our Bill Tucker has the latest now from Naco, Arizona.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They gathered along the southern border of Arizona at the Border Patrol stations of Naco and Douglas, people from California, Oregon, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Massachusetts, as many as 19 different states. And, yes, there were locals there, too.

I could stand on my back porch, use my binoculars, pick up my phone, call in to Border Patrol, and they come pick them up.

TUCKER: The demonstrations were orderly, friendly, with a great deal of support shown for the Border Patrol, dispelling concerns that the demonstrations would be violent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the typical minute person. This is what minute people look like.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, average Americans. And all ages. We're the largest group of neighborhood watch you will ever see.

CROWD: Close our borders, Bush! Close our borders, Bush!

TUCKER: There was anger, most of it directed at President Bush.

We are very upset that we voted for President Bush and that he has stabbed the American people in the back by allowing these open borders.

TUCKER: And not everyone was pleased with the idea of the minutemen patrols.

ARMANDO NAVARRO, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE: To us, this project is racist in nature. It's infiltrated by a bunch of domestic terrorists.

TUCKER: There were moments of confrontation. This one ended calmly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're working with our president. We'll see what we can do. Would you like a drink?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will take your drink.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. TUCKER: And many other minutemen supporters were not without sympathy for the plight of the people coming across the border illegally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I have no quarrel with the people, and I -- in a way I feel sorry for them. I really do, because they need to work. It's a better life here.

We have a good life. And I don't blame them for wanting to come over. But do it legally.

TUCKER: And that's the point of the demonstrations and the civilian border patrol, says the co-founder of the Minuteman Project. That, and to focus attention on the problem of illegal migration.

JAMES GILCHRIST, MINUTEMAN PROJECT FOUNDER: There is a major, major problem in this country. And it will begin with Mexico changing its way. There's something seriously wrong with Mexico when 50 percent of its population want to leave that country.

TUCKER: The Border Patrol does not officially condone the minuteman project. They are concerned about civilians putting themselves in harm's way, but for now, they are relieved that the project is off to a nonviolent beginning.

Bill Tucker, CNN, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: CNN "Security Watch" keeping you up to date on safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

KAGAN: Once again, breaking news story coming out of New York City. ABC News longtime news anchor, Peter Jennings, CNN has learned, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The network making that announcement and also a statement that Peter Jennings had released to those that he's worked with and worked for so long at ABC.

The network says that starting next week he will begin outpatient therapy to treat the lung cancer. He does plan on continuing to work while he is undergoing chemotherapy.

And we wish him well.

SANCHEZ: We most certainly do. Talk about a mainstay in ABC News, news in general.

Well, he gave his life in order to battle and save others. For that, President Bush awarded him the medal of honor yesterday, posthumously, in fact. He gave it to his young son there. Now, I'm going to be talking to some of Sergeant Paul Smith's colleagues who were there during the heroic act.

KAGAN: And thousands of residents in the Northeast are still bailing out. The latest on the heavy flooding and a national weather outlook is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Taking a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

Tens of thousands of people are lining up, waiting as soon as eight hours to view Pope John Paul II's body at St. Peter's Basilica. Cardinals met again today but didn't set a date for the conclave to elect a new pontiff.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected at the Vatican embassy in Washington next hour. She will sign a condolence book for Pope John Paul II. President Bush will attend Friday's funeral.

Terri Schiavo's parents are holding a funeral mass for their daughter tonight in Florida. The brain-damaged woman died last week 14 days after her feeding tube was removed.

And the young man who says he was fondled as a child by Michael Jackson will be back on the stand today. Now 24, he is the son of Jackson's former maid. Prosecutors called him to try to show a pattern of child molestation.

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 April 5, 2005 - 11:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Let's do this for you now, let's bring you up to date on what's going on in the news right now.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Waiting hours in line for a final moment with Pope John Paul II. A live picture there from St. Peter's Basilica. Tens of thousands of mourners waiting up to eight hours to view the pope's body. The solemn, steady stream of mourners will continue until the funeral on Friday. Details live from Rome just ahead.

Harvard University is selling its stake in a company with ties to Sudan. The decision follows pressure from a student activist pushing for disinvestment from Sudan. The government there is accused of genocide against black Africans in the Darfur region. Harvard is selling its shares of PetroChina because of the company's joint venture with Sudan.

A federal report says Boston's Big Dig tunnels are safe despite recent leaks. The Federal Highway Administration says the tunnels are structurally sound. The Big Dig project has been plagued problems, delays and massive cost overruns. It's $14 billion price tag makes it the most expensive highway project in U.S. history.

The Tar Heels were too much for the fighting Illini. North Carolina toppled Illinois last night to win the NCAA college basketball championship, the men's side, by the way. During the season Illinois tied the NCAA record with 37 wins. In the end, though, it was North Carolina by a score of 75-70.

SANCHEZ: That game the reason we are a little tired today, by the way.

KAGAN: Yes. Good game, though. Women play tonight, Michigan State and Baylor. Go women.

It is just after 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 8:00 a.m. in the West. From CNN Center in Atlanta, good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez.

It is an amazing sight. The line of mourners stretches for miles now. People by the tens of thousands paying their final respects to Pope John Paul II.

Rome is bracing for more than two million mourners that are expected to file past the pope's body. The public viewing continues until Friday.

The cardinals held their third meeting today, but set no date yet for their conclave. That's where they meet in seclusion, by the way, to try and select the next pope. The latest it can be held is April 22nd. And preparations are under way to provide security for the world dignitaries and throngs of faithful expected at Friday's funeral.

Now, for more on this tremendous outpouring of affection and the security challenges that lay ahead, considering how many police the Italians are going to have there, not to mention the security apparatus for all the different nations that are going to have their leaders there, wow, let's go to CNN's Diana Muriel. She's following the story in Rome.

Diana, over to you.

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rick, the crowd here being entertained by some singing occasionally. It's very, very loud indeed. And the crowd have been waiting as much as six hours to get to this stage.

They are moving along now, but it's going to take at least an hour before they actually get into the basilica and they can see the body of Pope John Paul II lying there in state. Only a few seconds, of course, whilst they had past in front of his body. And the queues have been like this for much of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MURIEL (voice-over): Monday morning, and the crowd at St. Peter's Square steadily growing, stretching back for more than a mile. They come from all over the country, all over the world. Polish- Canadian Annete Boguslawski.

ANNETE BOGUSLAWSKI, POLISH-CANADIAN PILGRIM: We've been here for I would say a little bit over two hours, and it feels like its been a few minutes.

MURIEL: This Argentian nun waiting in line since 7:00.

SISTER CONSOLATA, ARGENTINIAN PILGRIM: Even though everyone has to wait for hours, nobody minds.

MURIEL: The wait may be long, but when the line moves, you've got to keep up. By 10:00 a.m., it's starting to get hot. The authorities hand out bottles of water to those in the crowd, keeping the mood calm, but humored.

(on camera): And still they come in their tens of thousands. The long wait almost a penance for some of these pilgrims, here to say goodbye to their pope.

(voice-over): More than two million, maybe as many as four million are expected over the next few days, proving a headache for the authorities. Streets are barricaded, extra police bust in to manage the crowds. Three shuttle buses, two taking the pilgrims from the city's train station to the center of town. Free accommodations also at newly erected tent cities. As Rome's hotels fill up and put up their prices, a makeshift dormitory has also been established in an exhibition hall.

DIEDER HELSEN, BELGIAN PILGRIM: We don't have enough money to stay in an expensive hotels, so we heard there were cheap accommodation, or free accommodation.

MURIEL: It's basic, but according to this Italian girl, that's all part of the experience.

GAIA ALDI, ITALIAN PILGRIM: Because if we choose a hotel or something there, it was just a trip in Rome. In this way, we stay here to pray is the best thing that we can do now.

MURIEL: So a spiritual experience then for many on this final pilgrimage for their pope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURIEL: And as you can see from the conditions of the crowd having to wait, Rick, it's also something of an endurance test here, too.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Diana Muriel following that story for us.

And we've got some amazing pictures that we want to share with you now. Let's take you to the pope's homeland. And we want you to be able to listen in now as he is being remembered there among his fellow countrymen. Let's do this sound up.

(SINGING)

KAGAN: Once again -- once again, we have been watching and listening to a service in Warsaw, Poland, in honor of Pope John Paul II.

Spending time with this pope truly an extraordinary experience for a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Reverend John Bartunek had that opportunity not once, but twice, joining me now from Rome where he is pursuing graduate studies.

Father good morning.

REV. JOHN BARTUNEK, AUTHOR, "INSIDE THE PASSION": Good morning.

KAGAN: And good afternoon I should say to you as well there in Rome. As I understand it, your experience and encounter with Pope John Paul II not only affected you personally, but effected your life. It took a different direction.

BARTUNEK: Actually, it really did. The first time that I encountered the pope personally I wasn't even a Catholic. I was just a college student studying here, visiting Italy, studying here for a semester. And I went to midnight mass with Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica.

And I was about 20 yards away from him for the whole evening. And I didn't really understand everything that was happening, but one thing was clear to me that night, that this man was close to god. He was touching god during that mass.

No, amidst all the song and the lights and the art and the splendor and 10,000 people in the basilica, I was just mesmerized by looking at him. It stayed with me.

Later that year I had a chance to study in Poland, which was still under communist rule at the time. And there I saw his influence in statues and people, his pictures. People had hope because of the work he had done. That was the beginning of my real change in direction of my life.

I ended up becoming a Catholic, and then taking some steps to the seminary. And then I had a chance to meet him again when I was a seminarian studying here in Rome after, you know, his example had led me that far. And I was able to serve one of his masses -- two of his masses, actually, in St. Peter's Basilica.

This time I was next to him on the altar, I was with him. And I will never forget being able to greet him after those masses in the sacristy, you know, where I got to shake his hand and look into his eyes, and just say thank you for everything that he had done for me.

KAGAN: Taking a few steps back, does his service when he was a priest affect how you are pursuing the priesthood and the kind of priest you want to be?

BARTUNEK: Absolutely. Absolutely.

You know, the thing -- the thing about him is, when you are with him, no matter who you are, whether you are poor, an orphan, whether you are a diplomat, a king, when you look into his eyes you feel as if -- I mean, you just feel as if he believes in you. And he encourages you, and he believes that you can be great.

And throughout my years of formation before I was ordained to the priesthood, there were some tough years, and there were difficulties in the Church. And he was always a reference point.

I would look to him and I'd say, "There's a man who proves that it's worth giving your whole life to Christ, that you can really fulfill all your potential a as a man in the service of Christ." You can stand up for what you believe, and you can also be compassionate and understanding with others.

And he was a constant reference point like he was walking along beside me spiritually during those years of my formation. And even now, I still say to myself, "If I can be a priest like him, then I know I will be pleasing to god and I will do a lot of good."

He's the ideal. KAGAN: And as we look forward, the conclave, the date for it to begin hasn't started, the selection of the next pope. Whoever does become next pope is certainly going to have a tough act to follow. You as a priest, what are you looking for in the Church's next leader?

BARTUNEK: I am extremely optimistic about the next pope. You know, this pope, John Paul II, has done so much for the Church. He's brought the Church unto the avant-garde of the world.

He has modernized the Church. He has brought the Catholic Church to new places. He has changed the papacy.

And I have a feeling, I have a sense that the next pope is going to take the baton and go forward. You know, just the sense of being courageous, of opening up the doors of the Church, of opening up new ministries, of encouraging new movements in the Church, and of defending the Christian values and Christian morality in a way that the world can understand.

And, you know, the men who are the cardinals today, and the bishops today, most of them were chosen and appointed by Pope John Paul II. And they have that same spirit, that same optimism, that same belief that one man can make a difference, and one person can make a difference, and there can be meaning in life.

And even in the face of great difficulties, the war on terror, the questions of bioethics and moral issues, even in the face of those we can work through them, we can work together. The world can work together.

And Catholic Christians can work together with other Christians. That sense of optimism that this pope communicated and embodied, I think the next pope's going to have it because he spread it. This pope has done such a good job of making it contagious.

You know, all the brothers and other priests I studied with in my seminary, that's the attitude that we have. You know, we are ready to go out and do whatever we can. This sense of optimism and being out and being present to other people in the world.

KAGAN: Father John Bartunek from Rome. Thank you for sharing your experiences and also your enthusiasm. I think it's going to have meaning for a lot of people who are watching and listening today. Father, thank you.

BARTUNEK: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: There is a live event that's taking place right now. It's a Medal of Honor ceremony. We have been monitoring this for you to see if we could possibly dip in.

There it is. It's Donald Rumsfeld. He is going to be giving that Medal of Honor at the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, where he is holding this event.

He and the Army chief of staff are on hand. They are going to try and remember the bravery of one particular man, Sergeant First Class Paul Smith. He is the very first person of all the soldiers who have been to Iraq and all the soldiers who have been to Afghanistan since 9/11, the very first one to get the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He died in Iraq will defending his fellow soldiers. In fact, yesterday, President Bush posthumously awarded Sergeant Smith with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Here's some of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We count ourselves blessed to have soldiers like Sergeant Smith who put their lives on the line to advance the cause of freedom and protect the American people. Like every one of the men and women in uniform who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sergeant Paul Smith was a volunteer. We thank his family for the father, husband, and son and brother who can never be replaced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This is a remarkable story. So later in the hour we're going to do a couple of things. We're going to take you live to the Pentagon to get the very latest from there on this. And also, I had a chance to talk to the very men who were there the day that Sergeant Paul Smith lost his life.

I talked to them and filed a story on it. And I will share it with you right here in just a little bit -- Daryn.

KAGAN: We are looking forward to that.

Also, the Patriot Act, is it helping to prevent terrorism or is it trampling on your civil liberties? Today, the nation's top lawyer is on the hot seat, urging Congress to renew key provisions of the anti-terror law. Details on what it could mean for you just ahead.

SANCHEZ: Also, they say they are just a big neighborhood watch group trying to stop crime on America's border, but are the minutemen doing more harm than good, as some have asked? We will take a closer look.

KAGAN: And there's another report out on kids and television, why too much TV at home could be causing problems at school.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Some tough news in the news business. We are learning now that Peter Jennings, the anchorman for so many years at ABC News, has told his staff at "World News Tonight" that in fact he has lung cancer. Apparently Peter Jennings told his senior staff at the -- at the -- his crew yesterday afternoon that he was diagnosed with lung cancer. It's certainly a story that we're going to continue to follow for you here at CNN. The very latest information on this news just breaking reported by Associated Press moments ago that, in fact, he has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Daryn, over to you.

KAGAN: And we wish him well.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KAGAN: In his treatment and his recovery.

West Virginia is the latest stop for President Bush on his Social Security road tour. Mr. Bush is in Parkersburg, West Virginia, at this hour promoting his plan to overhaul Social Security.

Earlier, the president toured the Bureau of Public Debt to explain his comment that there is no Social Security trust fund. He says Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system in need of reform.

CNN "Security Watch" now. Top Bush administration figures are on Capitol Hill this hour. The attorney general and the FBI director are pressing Congress to renew lightning rod provisions of the Patriot Act.

Fifteen sections expire at the end of the year unless Congress takes action. Among them, the library provision. Secret warrants could allow police to find out what you are reading at the library or buying at the bookstore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R), PENNSYLVANIA: From the information provided by the Department of Justice, there has not been a request under the tangible things category for library or medical records. That has been an area of substantial concern to some. Would you see any problem on specifically excluding a reauthorization of the Patriot Act?

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The department has no interest in rummaging through the library records or the medical records of Americans. That is not something that we have an interest in.

SPECTER: Does that mean -- does that mean that you would agree to excluding them?

GONZALES: We do have an interest, however, in records that may help us capture terrorists. And there may be an occasion where having the tool of 215 (ph) access this kind of information may be very helpful to the department in dealing with a terrorist threat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Efforts to kill parts of the Patriot Act have created an odd alliance between liberal and conservative groups. They argue the law is being used primarily outside the terrorism arena to try and snoop on Americans. As you heard, the attorney general strongly denies that.

Well, they say they are like a neighborhood watch group, except that they are looking out for crime along the border between the United States and Mexico. The Minuteman volunteer border patrol group on patrol and under scrutiny.

Our Bill Tucker has the latest now from Naco, Arizona.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They gathered along the southern border of Arizona at the Border Patrol stations of Naco and Douglas, people from California, Oregon, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Massachusetts, as many as 19 different states. And, yes, there were locals there, too.

I could stand on my back porch, use my binoculars, pick up my phone, call in to Border Patrol, and they come pick them up.

TUCKER: The demonstrations were orderly, friendly, with a great deal of support shown for the Border Patrol, dispelling concerns that the demonstrations would be violent.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're the typical minute person. This is what minute people look like.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, average Americans. And all ages. We're the largest group of neighborhood watch you will ever see.

CROWD: Close our borders, Bush! Close our borders, Bush!

TUCKER: There was anger, most of it directed at President Bush.

We are very upset that we voted for President Bush and that he has stabbed the American people in the back by allowing these open borders.

TUCKER: And not everyone was pleased with the idea of the minutemen patrols.

ARMANDO NAVARRO, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE: To us, this project is racist in nature. It's infiltrated by a bunch of domestic terrorists.

TUCKER: There were moments of confrontation. This one ended calmly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're working with our president. We'll see what we can do. Would you like a drink?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will take your drink.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. TUCKER: And many other minutemen supporters were not without sympathy for the plight of the people coming across the border illegally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I have no quarrel with the people, and I -- in a way I feel sorry for them. I really do, because they need to work. It's a better life here.

We have a good life. And I don't blame them for wanting to come over. But do it legally.

TUCKER: And that's the point of the demonstrations and the civilian border patrol, says the co-founder of the Minuteman Project. That, and to focus attention on the problem of illegal migration.

JAMES GILCHRIST, MINUTEMAN PROJECT FOUNDER: There is a major, major problem in this country. And it will begin with Mexico changing its way. There's something seriously wrong with Mexico when 50 percent of its population want to leave that country.

TUCKER: The Border Patrol does not officially condone the minuteman project. They are concerned about civilians putting themselves in harm's way, but for now, they are relieved that the project is off to a nonviolent beginning.

Bill Tucker, CNN, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: CNN "Security Watch" keeping you up to date on safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

KAGAN: Once again, breaking news story coming out of New York City. ABC News longtime news anchor, Peter Jennings, CNN has learned, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The network making that announcement and also a statement that Peter Jennings had released to those that he's worked with and worked for so long at ABC.

The network says that starting next week he will begin outpatient therapy to treat the lung cancer. He does plan on continuing to work while he is undergoing chemotherapy.

And we wish him well.

SANCHEZ: We most certainly do. Talk about a mainstay in ABC News, news in general.

Well, he gave his life in order to battle and save others. For that, President Bush awarded him the medal of honor yesterday, posthumously, in fact. He gave it to his young son there. Now, I'm going to be talking to some of Sergeant Paul Smith's colleagues who were there during the heroic act.

KAGAN: And thousands of residents in the Northeast are still bailing out. The latest on the heavy flooding and a national weather outlook is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Taking a look at what's happening right "Now in the News."

Tens of thousands of people are lining up, waiting as soon as eight hours to view Pope John Paul II's body at St. Peter's Basilica. Cardinals met again today but didn't set a date for the conclave to elect a new pontiff.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected at the Vatican embassy in Washington next hour. She will sign a condolence book for Pope John Paul II. President Bush will attend Friday's funeral.

Terri Schiavo's parents are holding a funeral mass for their daughter tonight in Florida. The brain-damaged woman died last week 14 days after her feeding tube was removed.

And the young man who says he was fondled as a child by Michael Jackson will be back on the stand today. Now 24, he is the son of Jackson's former maid. Prosecutors called him to try to show a pattern of child molestation.

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