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CNN Sunday Morning

College of Cardinals Begins Meetings to Elect New Pope; Eric Rudolph Pleads Guilty

Aired April 10, 2005 - 07:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, an empty balcony window at St. Peters Square in the Vatican City. It's a somber reminder that never again will the world see Pope John Paul II greeting parishioners on Sunday morning.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is April 10. Good morning. And look who I have with me this morning.

Hey, there, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Betty. I'm Rob Marciano in for Tony Harris, who's finally taking some time off.

NGUYEN: That man works -- he's a workaholic.

MARCIANO: He's making us all look bad is his problem.

NGUYEN: Yes, he is. Yes.

MARCIANO: It's 7:00 a.m. here on the East side and 4:00 a.m. out west. Let's get things started with what's happening now in the news.

Advocates for clergy sex abuse victims are flying to Rome today. They plan to protest former boss and Archbishop Bernard Law for celebrating a Monday mass for the late pope. Law was criticized for his handling of the sex abuse scandal. Victim's advocates say he should be banned from celebrating that special mass.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is on his way to the new -- to the U.S. for a meeting at President Bush's Texas ranch on Monday. Sharon wants to bolster U.S. support for his plan to evacuate Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip. Meantime, Bush plans to object Israeli sentiment expansion in the West Bank.

And the royal honeymoon. Well wishers turned out in Scotland this morning for a glimpse at the prince and his new bride, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

The two are honeymooning there. And the day after, they tied the knot yesterday. And it's been a weekend of angry protests in China. Thousands of Chinese burned Japanese flags and called for a boycott of Japanese products. They're opposed to a new school book, which glosses over past atrocities by the Japanese military.

NGUYEN: Coming up this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, the day that Baghdad fell. Much has changed since Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled. We will go live to Baghdad for a status report on how Iraqis are marking the second anniversary.

Also ahead, Tiger is on the prowl at the Masters. But corporate sponsors are the ones hunting him. CNN's Sports business analyst Rick Horrow will join us with a closer look. And just a little bit later, we will speak with two outstanding teenagers, who's good deeds are changing a lot of lives.

But this morning, topping our news. St. Peter's Square is quiet. Most of the pilgrims who came to mourn Pope John Paul II, they have left. Meantime, Roman Catholic cardinals are seeking a new shepherd. And they're trying to do that very quietly.

Let's go straight to Vatican City and CNN's Jim Bittermann.

Why are they being so quiet, Jim?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Betty, one of the things that they have decided upon is that they want to have this period of reflection between now and the beginning of the conclave when they can reflect on who the candidate they would prefer to see as pope should be.

And so, they also feel, and I think this is something the Vatican press office certainly feels, is that too much loose talk right now might tend to favor one cardinal candidate or another, that the press might be able to influence some of the cardinals with its reporting if we were to see -- we were to have interviews with cardinals on the air.

Now having said all that, I suspect, and I've already talked to a couple of cardinals and formally even since that press -- gag rule went into effect yesterday. The -- I suspect that over the next couple days, we're going to see people violating that gag rule. We're going to see some interviews with some of the cardinals as the days wear on, becoming closer to the conclave -- Betty?

NGUYEN: Cardinals violating the rules? Say it isn't so, Jim.

BITTERMANN: Well, I think -- you know, one of the things is this is an amazing and interesting period right now. After 26 years in which the cardinals had to bide their time and toe the line of one absolute monarch, they are now having a chance to speak and to elect freely the next pope.

And as a consequence, I think there's just a lot of pent up energy there. There's a lot of need to say some things about exactly where the church should be going. And there are very, very diverse views about that.

John Paul II laid down a very large line of pope, who is very media savvy, was out there in the public, loved young people, that sort of thing. And yet, he left behind a number of church problems, a lack of priests, lack in western Europe and the United States, particularly lack of people in the pews on Sunday. So there are problems out there. And I think the cardinals are going to have to decide what's the best approach for tackling those problems. And that's one of the things they're going to be doing over the next few days.

One of the things that they're going to be hearing are at least exhortations. These are two speeches which will given on Thursday and on Monday at the beginning of the conclave behind closed doors. And in these exhortations, a priest, who is the pope's personal priest as well as a Jesuit cardinal, will be spelling out the kind of problems that they see in the church today and the way that they should be addressed -- Betty?

NGUYEN: A lot of issues to be dealt with in the next few days. Jim Bittermann in Vatican City. Thank you, Jim.

Rob?

MARCIANO: Back in the U.S., an accused serial bomber has reached a plea deal that spares him the death penalty. Later this week, Eric Rudolph will plead guilty to a string of attacks, including the deadly bombing of the 1996 Olympics.

Well, how do law enforcers and the victims' relatives feel about all this?

CNN's Sara Dorsey finds out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Do you consider Eric Rudolph a terrorist?

As a former Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent, Charles Stone hunted Eric Rudolph for three years and just finished a book with CNN producer Henry Schuster about the elusive alleged killer.

CHARLES STONE, FORMER FBI AGENT: I always thought that he would portray himself as a martyr. And you know, for lack of a better description, would die for the cause.

DORSEY: But instead, Rudolph agreed to a deal. Give up the location of unstable explosives he stashed in the hills of North Carolina for a sentence of life in prison, rather than a trial and a possibility of death, something that doesn't sit well with Stone.

STONE: I'll accept that it's outside of my normal venue anyway. But from a personal standpoint, I would have been opposed to a plea arrangement. I would have preferred to take my chances on a trial and seek a death penalty.

DORSEY: Why did you want to see him die?

STONE: Because of what he did. You're talking about a man who put a large bomb in a park field full of men, women and children with the intention of killing as many people as he could. DORSEY: One of those people was John Hawthorne's wife, Alice. He only gave his consent to the deal in order to get the hidden explosives off the streets.

JOHN HAWTHORNE, HUSBAND OF VICTIM: If it had been anything else other than that, I doubt that we could have supported it. But to keep other people from being injured, it became somewhat of a no brainer.

DORSEY: The man who police believe spent years in isolation, living in the woods and running from authorities will now likely spend the rest of his life in isolation in a maximum security prison.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: So what's next for Eric Rudolph? Well, he'll answer his first guilty plea Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama, where he is accused of the 1998 bombing of a woman's clinic. He'll then be transferred to Atlanta, where he'll plead guilty to the 1996 Olympic bombing and two other attacks.

The plea deal calls for Rudolph to be sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

NGUYEN: Now to Britain's royal newlyweds, as they would say, who are spending their first full day together as husband and wife. Now just a short time ago, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, as she will be called, arrived for church in Scotland, where they are now on their honeymoon. This is the second time Prince Charles has spent his honeymoon there. But that is about the only thing his two weddings have in common.

CNN's Hala Gorani takes a closer look at then and now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charles and Diana, pomp and pageantry. Charles and Camilla, far more subdued.

Back then, Princess Di arrived in a carriage that would have made Cinderella jealous. This time, Camilla Parker Bowles arrived in a car.

The train on Diana's white wedding gown seemed a mile long. This time, the bridge wore a more modest off-white dress. A stark contrast in the venues as well. Charles and Di got married inside the dome splendor of St. Paul's Cathedral.

This time a town hall in Windsor set the stage. Charles and Di's vows were heard around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With this ring.

PRINCE CHARLES: With this ring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thee wed.

PRINCE CHARLES: I thee wed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With my body.

PRINCE CHARLES: With my body.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thee honor.

PRINCE CHARLES: I thee honor.

GORANI: This time, the words spoken at a church blessing after the civil ceremony seemed almost business like.

ROWAN WILLIAMS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: God is love. And they that dwell in love dwell in God and God in them.

GORANI: Some 600,000 people turned out in 1981 at St. Paul's. And it seemed all of England was part of the celebration. This time, outside the town hall, the crowd was much smaller. Back then, the wedding of Charles and Di was a fairy tale event. This time, the media spoofed the prince and his second wife, who many still consider a mistress.

And what about the queen? She was a very prominent presence at the first wedding. This time around, she was a no show with the civil ceremony, but she did attend the blessing.

For Charles, two very different relationships. A stormy marriage to Diana, a long time controversial romance with Camilla.

The couple, no longer prince and mistress, but husband and wife.

Hala Gorani, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And you'll want to be sure to watch our in depth look at the long relationship between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles and its impact on the royal family. That is CNN's "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS." And it's tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

MARCIANO: Well, filling your gas tank means emptying your wallet again. Yes, we've hit another record high for gasoline prices. The new high, $2.26 a gallon. AAA says for the first time, average prices topped $2.00 in all 50 states.

With the price of gas so high, drivers are quick to hunt for ways to save money at the pumps. And that search often leads consumers for the Internet.

For instance, gasbuddy.com is a popular Web site that helps you find the cheapest gas prices in your area. And all you have to do is click on your state and put in your zip code. Then you can put in your city's name and up comes a list of prices and stations in your area. We checked it out and found that there are several Atlanta stations still selling, Betty, gasoline for $1.99 a gallon.

NGUYEN: No way. $1.99?

MARCIANO: We'll have to hunt those out.

NGUYEN: Yes, I'm going to hunt those down.

MARCIANO: These figures come from the web users who spot lower prices in their neighborhoods nationwide and then send them to the Web site. Again, you want to check that out. It's www.gasbuddy.com.

Well, let us know what you think of the higher gas prices. Are they changing the way you drive? That's our e-mail question this morning at wam@cnn.com. Let us know. We'll reading your responses throughout the morning.

NGUYEN: Yes, they're changing the way I drive. But now that I found what $1.99?

MARCIANO: Somewhere.

NGUYEN: I paid $2.50 the other day.

MARCIANO: Yes. And it's pretty cheap in Georgia.

NGUYEN: Per gallon. I know. Can you imagine what it's like in California?

MARCIANO: At least $3.00.

NGUYEN: That's painful.

MARCIANO: Well, we'll have to carpool next time around.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes, you'll be picking me up very early in the morning. How about that? Yes, I'll take that, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right, good deal.

NGUYEN: Well some say the world is made of those that do and those who dream. When we come back, two 14-year olds, well they are doing both. This morning's look at "PEOPLE" magazine's teenagers who could change the world.

MARCIANO: Plus, the wedding is an unlikely place you can take your vows and buy a gifts all at the same time. Orelon Sidney?

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. Starting to see some snow now in Denver. Finally changing over from the rain last night. Current temperature, 33 degrees. You're going to see as much as 12 inches in parts of Colorado. We'll talk about that and the rest of your forecast in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In news across America now, Florida state lawmakers are considering a bill to require electronic bracelets for sex offenders. It came up during a town hall meeting in Citrus County, where officials are trying to calm fearful residents in the wake of Jessica Lunsford's murder.

Now that's because authorities have lost track of the sex offender who was living across the street from the little girl, and was eventually arrested in her killing.

The Wendy's hamburger chain is still investigating an alleged incident of a human finger, Rob, which was found in its chili at a Las Vegas restaurant. So far, they cannot seem to find any logical source for the digit in the restaurant supply chain. The company is offering $50,000 to anyone with credible information on where it came from.

Now the woman who says she bit into that finger, has a history of making liability claims against large companies.

MARCIANO: Aha. More on that still to come.

NGUYEN: Yes.

MARCIANO: A new commercial will be airing on MTV featuring a constellation of famous stars. Their appeal is simple. The celebrities are pitching Americans to help ease global poverty. MTV promises heavy rotation for the commercial, which debuts tonight.

And it wasn't exactly a royal wedding, but it was still one for the books. Beverly McKuen (ph) says her co-workers at Wal-mart couldn't get the day off to attend her wedding, so she brought the wedding to them at Wal-Mart. The groom arrived from Texas just in time for the nuptials. And the couple met on the Internet.

Speaking of weddings, stories about the royal wedding are getting a lot of hits on the Internet this morning. Later this hour, CNN.com's Veronica de la Cruz takes a walk down the aisle with the royal couple right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Well, community service is the theme of this morning's tribute to teenagers, who are working to change the world. Time now for our weekly look at "TEEN PEOPLE" magazine's profile of these youngsters.

This morning, you'll meet the 14-year old founder of Project Fame, which is an organization that has so far donated more than $150,000 worth of fine arts materials to nursing homes in more than 30 states.

(MUSIC)

NGUYEN: Then there is the 14-year old founder of Children to Children, which has provided foster care kids with about $850,000 in much needed supplies. And guess what? Here they are, Children to Children founder Makenzie Snyder. She joins us from our Washington bureau.

And Project Fame's 14-year old founder William Dunckelman. He joins us from our New Orleans bureau there.

Thank you so much, both of you, for getting up with us.

WILLIAM DUNCKELMAN, ELDERLY ACTIVIST ARTS EDUCATION: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Good morning. Well, let's start with you with William. What inspired you to start working with elderly -- the elderly?

DUNCKELMAN: I actually started working with the elderly when I was very young. I have a lot of diseases and illnesses that the symptoms are commonly associated with the older generation and aging.

I've had shingles. I've had Tigus (ph), which is similar to cataracts. And I've also have a disease that affects my sweat glands, which is called Hyperhydrosis.

So I thought I knew what the pains of aging were like. And I began volunteering at the nursing homes. And I think it was then that I realized that when you go to the nursing homes, that there's a much deeper pain than just the physical pains you think of when you think of aging.

And there was also an emotional pain that wasn't being met.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

DUNCKELMAN: So, right. So I enacted Concerned Citizens within my group, within my city groups. And large and small businesses alike to help provide me with fine arts materials like videos, cassettes, DVDs, books, even theatrical performances with younger children in nursing homes to try to supply an emotionally and intellectually stimulating materials for the nursing homes.

NGUYEN: You know, I am just amazed, because you were 11-years old when you started this. One, not only that you understood the pains, but the emotional pains as well. And you wanted to do something about that.

Now this fame project has grown. Tell us how fast it's grown and how were you able to make it grow so fast?

DUNCKELMAN: I think because people recognized that it was doing such good work, my program. And actually, right now, I have the program in 35 states. And I've delivered over $155,000 worth of fine arts materials to nursing homes across America.

NGUYEN: That is great.

Makenzie, let's talk to you for a moment because you are helping foster children. What inspired you to do that?

MAKENZIE SNYDER, FOSTER CHILDREN'S ACTIVIST: What inspired me was when I went to this foster care kid summit. I went there and I met these two foster care kids. And they told me that they had to carry their stuff in trash bags when they moved from home to home. And they were like, yes, we have to carry stuff in either a trash bag or a shoe box. And they were so scared because some just stranger came up to their door and was like here's a trash bag, come with me.

And they have to go and live with someone that they don't even know. And I met this kid the other night. And he -- he's been to like 37 different foster care homes.

NGUYEN: My goodness.

SNYDER: It's really sad.

NGUYEN: OK. So it's one thing to want to help, but it's another thing -- and I've got to ask you -- how in the world did you raise $850,000? And what did you do with that money?

SNYDER: It's just from all the support that I've had from my family and just people all across the country. And just people wanting to help out and lend a hand in community service.

And I have all my friends helping me pack the bags. And what I do with the money that I get is buy duffle bags for the kids in foster care. Because right now I have over 6,000 stuffed animals and no duffle bags.

NGUYEN: My goodness. That is wonderful work that you're both doing. We appreciate you sharing that with us. And hopefully inspiring others to make a difference in the world. Thank you both.

SNYDER: Thank you.

DUNCKELMAN: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Rob?

MARCIANO: Oh, what were you doing when you were there?

NGUYEN: Gosh, not that. And I should have been. If we all were doing something like that, boy, this world would be a better place.

MARCIANO: You know, one thing I like about you is you've always complained that there's not enough weather on this show.

NGUYEN: Never enough.

MARCIANO: So today, we have two meteorologists. Orelon Sydney's coming up next with a look at the forecast. There's some nasty weather heading in the Midwest.

NGUYEN: Plus, with no wins in the last 10 majors, there is a tiger on the prowl. We have an update from the Masters. That's still to come right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Well, things are just ducky for at least one lady in our nation's capital. This mama mallard has up residence on a mulch pile outside the Treasury Department along with her nine eggs.

NGUYEN: Wow.

MARCIANO: To make sure no one disturbs her brood, the Secret Service has been set up to watch. Treasury workers are calling the mama mallard T-bill or Duck Cheney. The plan is to move her closer to water once her ducklings hatch.

NGUYEN: Obviously, she's a big attraction there. It's a good thing she's not in Denver, huh?

MARCIANO: Yes, I think we have some snow heading into Denver. Skiers are latching up their...

NGUYEN: They're ready to go.

MARCIANO: How much are they going to get, Orelon, what do you think?

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Well, it is an image that symbolizes the changing course of history in Iraq, the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein. And there it is, once again. We will take you live to Baghdad as the world marks two years since Saddam held power.

MARCIANO: Plus, once again, a rare virus creates a major health crisis. More than 100 dead so far. Headlines from around the world next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Time right now to check on some of the other stories making news in other parts of the world.

NGUYEN: It is the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. So for details on how it's being remembered and the other big news stories around the globe, we turn it now over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN International Desk.

Good morning, Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning to you. Yes, that's right. The second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. Iraqi lawmakers have been meeting to -- on that second anniversary. And it's their first meeting since choosing a prime minister.

CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Baghdad to tell us more about how that second anniversary is being commemorated.

Aneesh?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anand, good morning. As you say, the national assembly meeting today, not to elect a prime minister, a cabinet. That is the final vote before the transitional government is complete. Instead, dealing with internal security matters. It comes as we said all morning on the second anniversary of Baghdad's fall. Iraqis having a varied response.

Yesterday in Firdos Square, thousands upon thousands, both Shia and Sunni Iraqis, pouring out in protest, calling on the coalition forces to withdraw immediately. If they don't, to at least provide a timetable.

Also calling for Saddam Hussein to face immediate justice. They also depicted scenes from Abu Ghraib, the prison abuse scandal. Really an outpouring of anger and impatience among Iraqis that are ready for this country to be fully sovereign.

It was largely peaceful, though. But it was in that exact square two years ago to the day that the world was hypnotized as Iraqis jubilant, newly liberated, tore down that statue of Saddam Hussein, along with help from American tanks.

At that moment, the world thought that things would get better, that the war was perhaps over. No one really prepared for the insurgency that lied ahead.

So the contrasting images suggesting the complex nature of the past two years. But for most Iraqis, this past week has been the most critical. The transitional government really starting to take shape, a directly elected government that they deem legitimate. And hopefully, can deal with some of the pressing concerns, like the insurgency and basic services.

Security brought to light again today on it. A Pakistani official with the embassy here in the capital city, gone missing this morning and now presumed to have been kidnapped.

NAIDOO: All right, thanks, Aneesh. Aneesh Raman there talking to us from Baghdad.

Now to another part of the Middle East. Israeli police confronting extremist demonstrators in the disputed city of Jerusalem. Thousands of riot police sealed off a hill top shrine in Jerusalem's walled old city. However, only a handful of demonstrators turned up, leading police to believe the gathering was meant as an exercise for a much larger protest, which is planned for later this summer. Ultra nationalist Israelis plan the demonstrations in protest against Israel's planned pull out from Gaza.

We move now to Angola, a country that we don't hear about very often. There's a disaster in the making there. A rare Ebola type virus has killed 174 people in the country. At least 200 people were infected. U.N. officials say they've had some success countering these so-called Marburg virus, but they warn it's still a national health crisis. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has also a team out to the southern African country.

Like Ebola, Marburg is a blood borne disease. It kills very rapidly. And there is no vaccine for that disease.

That's all for me for now. Later on, we'll look at anti-Japanese protests in China. But for now, back to Rob and Betty. NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Anand.

MARCIANO: Thanks, Anand. Well coming up at noon on "LATE EDITION," Wolf Blitzer's exclusive interview with Iraq's new president Jalal Talabani about the country's road to democracy.

Now to security watch, updating you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Sunday morning. Researchers at the non-profit National Academies say although it's a long shot, spent fuel rods stored inside the U.S. are vulnerable to terrorist attack. Spent fuel rods are a by-product of nuclear reactors.

The scientists say an attack could lead to a fire that would release large amounts of radioactive materials. The government agency that oversees the nation's nuclear program disagrees, saying the rods are well protected.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he's willing to listen to suggestions on how to change the Patriot Act. He is against changes though that would limit law enforcement powers that were approved after 9/11. Elements of the law are set to expire at the end of the year, unless they're renewed by Congress.

And coming soon to a border crossing near you, passports. If you plan a vacation or do business in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean or Bermuda, you'll need a passport soon. It's a new rule. It'll be phased in in 2008.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

NGUYEN: Well, we have an update from the biggest golf tournament of the year. That's still ahead. And the leader board -- from the Masters. We'll take you there. CNN SUNDAY MORNING in just a moment.

MARCIANO: Plus, are high gas prices driving you to look for a deal? Tell us what you think. We are at...

NGUYEN: Are you nuts -- they could drive you nuts, too, Rob.

MARCIANO: Yes, that, too. Wam@cnn.com. We're reading your e- mails throughout the morning. Give us a little e-mail for us and we'll have you part of the show. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Well, it was three decades in the making, but Britain's future king finally ties the knot with his true love. Veronica de la Cruz joins us with more on the royal wedding, as if we haven't had enough. Tell us some more.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, no. Well, Rob, you're right about that. After a 35-year history together, 35 years, they finally tied the knot yesterday. And I know that you saw it, right?

MARCIANO: Of course. Right at 3:00 a.m. on.

DE LA CRUZ: Exactly, but just in case you missed it, CNN.com takes a walk down the aisle for the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): For the relationship that practically defines star crossed lovers, the two first met at a polo match in 1970. The story is a case of romantic history repeating. It said that Camilla's great grandmother was a long time mistress of the great, great grandfather of Charles. Charles and Camilla's history is chronicled in this timeline at cnn.com/royal weddings.

But who is this woman that stole the heart of the man set to be the king of England? In this profile, learn more about Camilla Parker Bowles.

Princess Diana often blamed her for the failure of her own marriage to Charles. But Camilla played a part in encouraging the match between the two. The prince is said to have proposed to Diana in Camilla's vegetable garden.

Britons have been long divided over whether Charles should remarry. His announcement of the wedding plans didn't come without controversy. How do you feel about the wedding of Charles and Camilla? You can log on and weigh in, in our interactive poll.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DE LA CRUZ: And if you are curious to find out the results of that quick vote, 30,000 votes have been tallied. The latest poll numbers show that 13 percent disapprove, 18 percent approve, and 69 percent just don't care.

So where do you factor in?

MARCIANO: I guess I'm in the 69 percent. No...

DE LA CRUZ: Oh.

MARCIANO: No. It was fun to watch. And you know, there was a lot of things going on the past couple days.

DE LA CRUZ: And all those crazy hats.

MARCIANO: Yes. I don't know what quite that was, that bird's nest or what she had going on.

DE LA CRUZ: The twigs.

MARCIANO: The twigs, yes. But anyway, it's always fun to watch a royal wedding.

Thanks, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

NGUYEN: I kind of thought it was more like a tumbleweed that just kind of got stuck there. Oh, well, all right.

MARCIANO: We wish them the best of luck.

NGUYEN: Yes, we do.

MARCIANO: Enjoy your honeymoon.

NGUYEN: Enjoy yourselves in Scotland. Well, could this be the day that Tiger Woods ends his drought? The thirsty champion is trying to end his string of 10 straight losses at major tournaments. We have an update on the Masters. That's next.

MARCIANO: Plus, CNN sports analyst Rick Horrow takes us beyond the game. And yet again, he's wearing a goofy hat. Hi, Rick. And the best part of the show because he can't talk back.

NGUYEN: No, we can't hear you. Sorry, Rick. You can talk all day, but we can't hear you. We'll be back.

MARCIANO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) our topic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Good morning, Washington, as the sun comes up over the capital city into the White House. And a beautiful Washington Monument in the background. We'll have your forecast coming in just a little bit.

But right now, we want to check some of the top stories. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is on his way to Texas, to meet with President Bush. Sharon is hoping to reaffirm President Bush's support for an Israeli pullout in Gaza. It will be Sharon's first visit to the president's ranch.

Leaders of an advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse are flying to Rome to protest. They're upset Cardinal Bernard Law was celebrating mass as the Vatican. Law stepped down as Archbishop of Boston after court documents showed he knowingly moved priests accused of sexual abuse. Law will lead a mass tomorrow to honor the late Pope John Paul II.

And Britain's Prince Charles and his new bride, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are spending their first full day as husband and wife in Scotland. The two were married in Windsor, England. That happened yesterday.

Plus, some American high school students may feel a little like royalty. They won't have to spend a penny for their college degree. Find out why they're getting a free ride in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

MARCIANO: Well, it's been rain and shine at the Masters Golf Tournament after 45 holes, the stage is set for a great Sunday. Chris DiMarco has a four shot lead, but Tiger Woods is coming on strong. With three days of rain delays, both DiMarco and Woods have played -- have to play 27 holes. Players get an early start today to complete the third round. Meantime, Jack Nicklaus says he's done with the Masters, this time for good.

And no matter who wins the Masters, there's really only one true ruler when it comes to endorsements. That man's Tiger Woods. Well, what's interesting is the distance between Woods and the rest of the world's top players.

Take a look at this. Tiger Woods makes $89 million a year in endorsements alone. Last year's Masters winner Phil Mickelson is second on the list at $26 million. And golf's current number one player, Vijay Singh, is getting about $19 million a year in endorsements. That's 20 percent of Tiger's take.

The business of golf is a topic this morning, as we take you beyond the game. The latest syndicated guest is that there is 37 million golfers in the world or U.S. right now. One of them is the author of "When the Game Is on the Line," CNN sports analyst Rick Horrow.

He didn't say -- well, Rick, where are you?

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Hi.

MARCIANO: Hey, buddy. Hey, Tony wanted me to say that you're not a very good golfer, but I can't bring myself to do that.

HORROW: First of all, let me tell you something. I got my Masters head covers, got the balls from this weekend, got the Masters socks. And you, more than anybody, know that you can't say that I'm not a good golfer, because I've seen you wilt first hand man.

And so we're ready to take it on. Let's get it going.

MARCIANO: I didn't know you were back from town the other day. And you refused to call me for a full game of golf. But that's another topic. And I'd love to Masters tickets next year. So just keep that in mind. And if it means, you know, being nice to you on the air, we'll do that as well.

HORROW: Well, you tell me when we're going to start because, you know, the first thing you were talking about is television. And so, that's a big deal because it's all fit with Tiger. You know, you were mentioning Tiger.

MARCIANO: Well, Tiger, you know, he was dominant at one point. And there was this huge resurgence in the game, you know, around 1996. But I mean, he was -- he looked good yesterday. But he's not quite dominant anymore. Has there been a leveling off of the interest?

HORROW: Yes, well, it'd be a great round if 27 holes from how, he and Chris DiMarco are in the final pairing. And we know the correlation between Tiger and ratings, especially over the last few years. If he does well, he won the Ford in Miami, he won in San Diego, ratings are high. He didn't get to the match play finals at Lacosta, ratings are not.

$850 million TV deal, largely because of the impact of Tiger. Now we're stabilizing. The ratings are still up 13 percent in the last decade for the tour. That's more than any sport.

We're entering a new round of TV negotiations, though. And the key is how to keep that momentum going.

We have 500 million rounds of golf every year, which is the good news. The bad news is it's declined every year for the past three years. So something has to change a bit.

MARCIANO: All right, beyond TV, let's talk about the every day hacks like you and me. Just exactly what kind of golfers are typically out there across the U.S.?

HORROW: Every day hack like you, let's compare the demographics. The average demographic is 39-year old male. He make about $66,000. He has $75,000 in stock. $500,000 in life insurance. He owns 2.5 cars. I'd like to see your half a car. And he surfs the Internet twice as much as the national average. That's why corporate America loves it.

The key, though, is to get more women in the game and kids in the game. 25 percent in the new golfers are women. More needs to be done to broaden and diversify that base.

MARCIANO: I'd like to see my second car and all that money in life insurance also.

Hey, let's talk a little bit more about corporate America. Obviously, huge amounts of money pouring in. Is corporate America happy with golf?

HORROW: Corporate America is ecstatic with golf, Rob. And the bottom line is in purses and prize money. $1.5 million per tournament 10 years ago and now well over $5 million. And the key right now is to keep that going. A $30 million sponsorship with Coke and the PGA tour.

You also have blue chip sponsors who sponsor these tournaments. Bank of America, Buick, Ford, 84 Lumber, for example. Of the major tournaments, you've got 12 of these national sponsors renewing past 2010, which is good for the long term growth of the game.

MARCIANO: All right. It's going to be a great -- who are you picking, by the way, in the Masters this afternoon?

HORROW: It's going to be a four way playoff. And Tiger's going to win after 17 playoff holes.

MARCIANO: Oh, come on.

HORROW: What do you think of that?

MARCIANO: Oh, I think about time a paysan went. I'm going with DiMarco. Hey, a quick fair ball, foul ball. What do you got?

HORROW: Yes, well, you know, the foul ball is interesting. The hockey general managers in Detroit looked at a proposal for a 13 percent increase in the size of the goal.

Good news. Bottom line is nobody to play, nobody to shoot, because there's a lockout today. So we've got to solve that problem before we start worrying about how big the goal ought to be.

MARCIANO: They should have learned their lesson from baseball, I suppose. We'll see what happens next year.

OK, fair ball?

HORROW: Well, the fair ball is if you're a Yankee fan. We have $2.2 billion in payroll. And the Yankees, by the way, $97 million this year just for their pitching staff, which is more than 26 teams' entire payroll.

So the bottom line is the Yankees play it again financially well beyond everybody else. That may be the foul ball, but it's a fair ball if you're a Yankee pitcher.

MARCIANO: Or a Yankee fan, of which I am. So I completely agree with that. Capitalism in that case is good. Hey, Rick, I hope you had fun at the Masters. Great to see you. Let's tee it up, all right, buddy? I mean that. Next time...

HORROW: Hey, it's great. We'll tee it up the next couple months, pal. I'll take your money.

MARCIANO: We'll see you later. All right, that's enough from Rick Harrow, our sports analyst. Betty, back over to you.

NGUYEN: He's always ready to take somebody's money. Well, hey, with gas prices topping $2.00 a gallon, I don't blame him. Are you driving less these days because of the high prices? We are getting your e-mails on the subject this morning. We'll read some of them when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns. We're at wam@cnn.com. Send them in.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Let me just say, we are prepared here for any type of weather you want to throw at us today.

MARCIANO: That's right, we're going to get to Orelon Sydney. So they've got two meteorologists here today.

NGUYEN: Two of them on staff. And we're going to get to her in just a minute.

First, though, we want to talk about those e-mails of the day. Gas prices, they're over $2.00 a gallon. Are they changing the way that you drive? Are these higher gas prices changing your driving habits? Well, we've had a lot of responses this morning.

Myrna from Canada says, "Hey, America! Want something to complain about? Gas prices in Nova Scotia convert to about $3.78 a US gallon!" $3.00. "And you guys are STILL driving SUVs..." Good point.

MARCIANO: Here's another one from Annette in Petersburg, Virginia. "My mom and I both on a limited income, used to ride around looking, shopping, etc., now we just go to do what we have to do, come home." This is good for us. And they "watch TV."

NGUYEN: Yes, CNN hopefully.

MARCIANO: "And hope there is a good movie on..." And hopefully watch more of CNN.

NGUYEN: Movies? She should put CNN right there.

MARCIANO: That's true.

NGUYEN: Yes, we're going to change that.

MARCIANO: Speaking of at cnn, wam@cnn.com. We want to know what you think about the higher gas prices. Are they changing your driving habits?

NGUYEN: Well, if you're headed out today, you may be facing some rough weather outside.

MARCIANO: Yes, a little snow -- still have snow tires on in Denver, although Orelon, you said, probably be warm enough so that it doesn't stick all that much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's Sunday, April 10th, 8 a.m. here at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7 a.m. in Crawford, Texas.

Good morning. I'm Rob Marciano in for Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: Glad to have you today, Rob. And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks for being with us.

Now in the news. Israel's prime minister is headed to the U.S. this morning, ahead of tomorrow's meeting at President Bush's Texas ranch. Ariel Sharon wants to boost U.S. support for Israel's upcoming pullout from Gaza, but Bush is opposing some of Israel's other plans including settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Empty windows at the Vatican's papal apartments this morning. A stark reminder that Pope John Paul II is no longer with us. There was no traditional Sunday blessing as the mourning period for the late pontiff goes on.

And Britain's new royal couple emerged from their honeymoon estate in Scotland this morning. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles went to a small church service a day after tying the royal knot. Dozens of villagers, as you can imagine, greeted the newlyweds.

MARCIANO: And two years ago, there was joy in the streets of Baghdad. Now there's growing anger after the fall. That story is just ahead. Also they studied hard and did their homework, now it's really paying off. And a higher calling in our "Faces of Faith." We'll introduce you to a woman who's starting a lifelong long spiritual journey.

NGUYEN: Well, our top story this hour. One visitor simply put it this way, "These are groups, but there is no holy father." That was the sad description and solemn reality in Rome this morning two days after Pope John Paul II was laid to rest.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is in Vatican City with the latest this morning. Hi, Jim.

BITTERMANN: Hi, Betty. Despite the fact that it's a rainy, miserable day here and despite the fact that there is no pope in the Vatican, dozens of people did show up in St. Peter's Square this morning around the time of the Angelus, that's the traditional noontime prayer. Normally, the pope would appear. If he were in town, he would appear at the windows of the Vatican and give the blessing. And all those Sundays that he was in Rome, he always appeared over the 26 years to give the noontime blessing, right up until two weeks ago. And for the last two Sundays there has been no pope giving the Angelus. And so there is kind of an empty feeling in the Vatican.

The other thing was that there are normally are fairly large masses on Sunday here if the pope is in office and in town, and this Sunday of course nothing of the kind. There are always masses going on in St. Peter's, but not the kind of big mass that you'd normally have on a Sunday -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Jim, let's talk about the selection of a new pope. Are the cardinals speaking at all about this process or who they may have in mind?

BITTERMANN: Well, in fact, one of the things that has been imposed since yesterday is this gag rule that the cardinals have imposed on themselves. They unanimously voted, according to the Vatican press office, to keep silence on the issue about who should be the next pope, and reflect and consult among themselves.

However, I am not quite sure. I think we're going to probably see some of them speaking out a bit. There's a lot of pent-up, I wouldn't say anxiety, but a lot of pent-up emotion about who should be the next pope, because the fact is that the last 26 years there have been some problems cropping up in the church. A lot of these cardinals have seen them directly in their archdiocese around the world, and they've come to Rome knowing that this is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to affect the direction of the church. So they're taking this quite seriously. They're going to be, over the next week, doing something the Italians describe as practica (ph), which is a kind of a subtle consultation process, a tea, a coffee, a meal shared with other cardinals, during which they will talk about some of the issues. And then there are a couple of formal things that are happening.

There are two formal exhortations, which are kind of sermons, which will outline the kind of problems seen by two leading churchman, the kind of problems that are facing the Catholic Church today. And from that, they will kind of develop a robosketch of the kind of person that might be necessary to fill the shoes of Pope John Paul II -- Betty.

NGUYEN: In Vatican City, Jim Bittermann, thank you.

MARCIANO: Now to the situation in Iraq. This weekend marked the major milestone in the battle for Baghdad. For more now we turn to CNN's Aneesh Raman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice-over): The joy of two years ago replaced this day with anger. Chanting "no, no America," thousands of protesters filling Firdos Square, demanding coalition troops withdraw.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN (through translator): We are here to demand that the occupiers leave Iraq and put a timetable for their withdrawal now.

RAMAN: A far cry from the riveting elation in this same square as Baghdad fell, as newly liberated Iraqis, with the help of American tanks, tore down a statue of Saddam Hussein. Ado Meti (ph) watched it unfold from his balcony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tank brought the room, small room for the policemen there.

RAMAN: The tanks remain, but thoughts of Saddam, it seems, are fading.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's gone. He's not an issue now. He's gone. We have something more important than Saddam. He's something from history.

RAMAN (on camera): Along with the scores of Iraqis that fill this square, all around the world people watched as Saddam's statue came down. Months later it was replaced by this, a monument to peace, a panorama of Iraqi life.

(voice-over): A statue surrounded this day by Iraqi impatience, a desire to be without any foreign presence and to see their former dictator face justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They are lying. They are not going to try Saddam. It has been two years since America occupied Iraq and it only gives false promises. RAMAN: As the transitional government takes hold, among the many concerns they must soon confront are these voices. The honeymoon for Iraq's new government if it ever existed seems all but over.

Aneesh Raman, CNN Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: And now the story of the man who is missing and still very much missed.

Hundreds of people in Claremont County, Ohio yesterday marked the fist anniversary of soldier Matt Maupin's capture in Iraq. He is the only soldier who is still listed by the U.S. Army as captured, one year after his convoy came under attack near the Baghdad Airport. Despite his uncertain status, the Army recently promoted Maupin to sergeant.

NGUYEN: We begin our news across America now with questions that come up as a community dreams. The folks in Homosassa, Florida want to know how safe are their children. That was the focus of a forum there yesterday, a few weeks after 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted and killed allegedly by a registered sex offender, who had been living just across the street.

Lawmakers say they'll toughen Florida's laws against sex offenders.

In Oklahoma, out of one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history, a memorial to mourn and remember. Inside the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, the axle from the Ryder truck Timothy McVeigh used to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah federal building.

It was found near the cite and had been in the FBI's custody. That 1995 bombing killed 168 people.

And our last story involves a bit of a riddle. What can turn a gas guzzler into a penny pincher? Yet another record high price for the price of gasoline that is, $2.26 a gallon. That is how much it will cost you on average right now. AAA says for the first time average prices topped two bucks in all 50 states.

I'm feeling it.

And that brings us to our morning e-mail question for you. Are higher gas prices changing the way that you drive, your driving habits? All you have to do is send us your thoughts. Mail that to wam@cnn.com. We will be reading your responses all morning long.

MARCIANO: And with gas prices the way they are, you parents out there might have to dip into your kids college accounts just to keep a tank filled up. But some parents in the Washington area at least won't have that problem. Our Kathleen Koch explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A price patrol on the prowl of Washington, D.C. public high schools...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is Baba (ph) available?

KOCH: ...seeking nine seniors who hit the academic jackpot, full scholarships to George Washington University worth nearly $200,000 each.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to thank all of my teachers that helped me.

STEVE TRACHTENBERG, PRESIDENT, GW: My name is Steve Trachtenberg...

KOCH: Presentations by GW's president at Bannaker High School may have had a game show quality.

TRACHTENBERG: Miss Thou Han Tren (ph), Crystal (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KOCH: But he made clear the university has serious expectations.

TRACHTENBERG: We expect that they're going to work their tails off, and graduate at the absolute top of their class.

KOCH: Twenty thousand students applied for the scholarships. They are awarded every year by the university based on grades, SAT scores, community service and other achievements.

Saba Fassil came to the United States two years ago from Ethiopia and plans to study medicine.

SABA FASSIL, STUDENT: I feel blessed. I feel excited.

TAWANA EDWARDS, SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: She does want to become a medical doctor. She's been saying that since she was three years old almost since she could speak.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Charles Conway.

KOCH: Charles Conway has spent his teens years living with his great aunt who is already putting five other children through college.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just praise God for this blessing.

CHARLES CONWAY, SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: I'm speechless really.

KOCH: Charles had limited his search to small, inexpensive colleges until a teacher passed on valuable advice.

CONWAY: I shouldn't worry about the money right now just focus on applying and getting into school and then the money will come.

KOCH: With this money comes limitless opportunity for the self described scholar, athlete who hopes to go to law school.

FANNIE SINGLETARY, CHARLES' GREAT AUNT: I see him stepping into wonderful, wonderful adventures in life and greatness to depths of everything of the American dream.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much.

KOCH: And on a day full of surprises.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wasn't expecting this at all. My mom had kept the secret pretty well.

KOCH: Dreams and reality don't seem so far apart.

Kathleen Koch, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Well, she's young, fun loving and answering a call to serve God. In today's "Faces of Faith," the choices and challenges one woman makes as she considers life as a nun.

NGUYEN: Also ahead, Tiger's attack. Will it be enough though for a Masters win. We'll have an update on the action in Augusta. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look at this family. No, you are not seeing things. A husband overseas in Iraq and 11, 11 children to care for at home. We will meet one very busy Navy wife. That's coming up in the 9 a.m. hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: This just in to CNN. We want to talk about another earthquake in Indonesia. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Sunday, today near Sumatra, Indonesia. That's according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Now the quake was centered 70 miles southwest of Padang, Sumatra. And as you recall, just about two weeks ago there was another earthquake near this area. It was an 8.7 magnitude quake. There are no tsunamis or at least any warnings indicated with this particular quake, with the one two weeks ago there were really no warnings either. Of course a lot of folks in the area staying very prepared after that December 26th earthquake and the killer tsunamis that occurred because of that that killed hundreds of thousands.

But just as a reminder, this just in to CNN. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck today near Sumatra about 70 miles southwest of Padang, Sumatra. But so far no tsunami warnings or watches have been issued. Of course we will stay on top of this and bring you the latest when we get it in to CNN.

MARCIANO: Thanks, Betty. A look now at our top stories.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is in route to the U.S. to meet with President Bush. Sharon wants to -- he wants support for his plan to evacuate Jewish settlers from Gaza. But Bush objects to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Verizon Communications has agreed to buy a 13 percent stake in MCI one of its biggest stock holders. It's a move to help Verizon's take over bid for the long distance carrier. Verizon wants MCI's national fiber optic network and a roster of lucrative clients.

And they're teeing off just about right now for the final 27 holes of the Masters Golf Tournament. Chris DiMarco at 13 under leads Tiger Woods by four strikes. Should be a good play off...

NGUYEN: Yes, if the weather isn't too bad. It got rained out a little bit earlier this week.

MARCIANO: It did. But they're drying out. The greens should be firming up. It's going to be a good Sunday (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

NGUYEN: To watch it from home, right, unfortunately?

Orelon Sidney joins us now with a look at that weather outside.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right. Check this out. A regular girl from Philadelphia and her unconditional career choice. That story is next in our weekly look at the Faces of Faith.

MARCIANO: And later on "HOUSE CALL" America's sleep problem. How not enough time in the sack is hurting your health. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In the past week the news has been dominated by stories of Pope John Paul II and the Catholic church. But in this week's Faces of Faith we look at another very familiar symbol of the Catholic church, the nun.

Deborah Feyerick of one woman just beginning a new life in the convent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT voice-over): The first thing you notice about 26 year old Meaghan Patterson is her laugh. The second thing should probably make a really good nun.

MEAGHAN PATTERSON, NOVICE: I don't know if I've had a specific ah-ha moment, but I'm coming to be more myself.

FEYERICK: Meaghan is a novice. The Catholic term for a nun in training. She lives with the Sisters of St. Joseph in Philadelphia the same order as the nun who wrote "Dead Man Walking."

PATTERSON: We're pretty normal. I mean we do stuff that anybody would do. We get up in the morning. We wear pajamas to bed.

FEYERICK: Meaghan began thinking about a career in religion in college. She had boy friends though no one serious. And she majored in English.

PATTERSON: My senior seminar was on Jane Austin. I love the British literature, love it. So I chose to look at the themes of courtship and marriage.

FEYERICK: When she's not studying Catholicism Meaghan is working at the Sisters' welcoming center in the drug ridden Kensington area. She teaches immigrants how to read and write and helps out with whatever needs doing. And of course, there are the vows, loyalty to God, yes, money and men, no.

FEYERICK (on-camera): Do some young women with everything that's out there with all the images in magazines, on television, do some women have problems with celibacy, for example, sort of cutting themselves off from...

PATTERSON: Sure.

FEYERICK: ...regular -- Sister Charlene Diorka helps guide young women like Meaghan considering a life in the convent.

SISTER CHARLENE DIORKA, SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH: I'm not saying that celibacy is not a struggle, that it's not a sacrifice. All of us have to with that and live with that. But for some it isn't really how God is calling them.

FEYERICK: In 1960 there were 109 young women like Meaghan beginning to train for life as a nun. Meaghan was the only one in her year. Some years there aren't any. Five hundred of Meaghan's sisters are over aged 70.

Ten minutes drive from the convent Meaghan's father is holding court as principle of Queen of Peace Catholic School.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you know about the pope?

FEYERICK: He jokes that his eldest daughter should have become a doctor, lawyer or accountant so to get better Christmas presents. But he is seriously proud of her.

I think she cares for other people. I think she's a tireless worker. She has a good heart. Excuse me. She is a nice daughter.

FEYERICK: Growing up in Philadelphia Meaghan always dreamed she'd one day marry and have children. That may never be, but she's OK with that.

PATTERSON: I don't look at it as a sacrifice, that I'm not having children. I look at it as my life is called to be something else.

FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: What a sacrifice that is. Hey, and speaking of other sacrifices, not as great but a sacrifice indeed. Let's talk about higher gas prices right now. Are they changing your driving habits. We're getting lots of great responses this morning.

MARCIANO: It is our e-mail question and here is one response. "The higher prices -- oh, this is an entire one. Isn't it? "The higher prices have caused me to start driving the speed limit, which is 55 MPH. OK, that's a safe start.

NGUYEN: Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I understand that and making sure you have all the air in your tires correctly. That helps with gas too.

This other person, Ed from Flint, Michigan writes, "In the pass I used to make three separate shopping trips. " Boy, Ed likes to shop. "Now I combine my shopping and make one trip. I plan to do more walking and bike riding in place of cruising around in my ION. When I refuel, I look around and see those SUVs and I just smile."

Oh, those folks in SUVs are really paying at the pump these days. Hey, keep those e-mails coming this morning would you please? Are higher gas prices changing the way you drive around town? Wam@cnn.com.

MARCIANO: And smile no matter what.

Fighting gangs in one of America's toughest neighborhoods. We're going to look at just how hard that battle is ahead in the 9 o'clock hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: But first, getting your Zs. Doctor Sanjay Gupta looks at some things you can do to guarantee a healthy nights sleep. That's straight ahead on HOUSE CALL right after a check of today's top stories.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Now in the news. Another major earthquake has hit just off the western coast of Sumatra. An 8.6 is the third earthquake to hit the Indonesian island since December 26th. Unlike the December quake, there has been no indication of a tsunami from this one. We'll continue to monitor this developing story and give you the latest information as it becomes developing. That is a 6.8 earthquake. Much smaller than 8.6.

It's the first Sunday in St. Peter's Square since the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Today there was no Angelus prayer, a noon prayer traditionally conducted by the pope. Instead a polish orchestra played a solemn march.

I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Center in Atlanta. That's the latest from here. HOUSE CALL begins right now.

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Aired April 10, 2005 - 07:00   ET
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BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, an empty balcony window at St. Peters Square in the Vatican City. It's a somber reminder that never again will the world see Pope John Paul II greeting parishioners on Sunday morning.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is April 10. Good morning. And look who I have with me this morning.

Hey, there, Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Betty. I'm Rob Marciano in for Tony Harris, who's finally taking some time off.

NGUYEN: That man works -- he's a workaholic.

MARCIANO: He's making us all look bad is his problem.

NGUYEN: Yes, he is. Yes.

MARCIANO: It's 7:00 a.m. here on the East side and 4:00 a.m. out west. Let's get things started with what's happening now in the news.

Advocates for clergy sex abuse victims are flying to Rome today. They plan to protest former boss and Archbishop Bernard Law for celebrating a Monday mass for the late pope. Law was criticized for his handling of the sex abuse scandal. Victim's advocates say he should be banned from celebrating that special mass.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is on his way to the new -- to the U.S. for a meeting at President Bush's Texas ranch on Monday. Sharon wants to bolster U.S. support for his plan to evacuate Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip. Meantime, Bush plans to object Israeli sentiment expansion in the West Bank.

And the royal honeymoon. Well wishers turned out in Scotland this morning for a glimpse at the prince and his new bride, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

The two are honeymooning there. And the day after, they tied the knot yesterday. And it's been a weekend of angry protests in China. Thousands of Chinese burned Japanese flags and called for a boycott of Japanese products. They're opposed to a new school book, which glosses over past atrocities by the Japanese military.

NGUYEN: Coming up this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, the day that Baghdad fell. Much has changed since Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled. We will go live to Baghdad for a status report on how Iraqis are marking the second anniversary.

Also ahead, Tiger is on the prowl at the Masters. But corporate sponsors are the ones hunting him. CNN's Sports business analyst Rick Horrow will join us with a closer look. And just a little bit later, we will speak with two outstanding teenagers, who's good deeds are changing a lot of lives.

But this morning, topping our news. St. Peter's Square is quiet. Most of the pilgrims who came to mourn Pope John Paul II, they have left. Meantime, Roman Catholic cardinals are seeking a new shepherd. And they're trying to do that very quietly.

Let's go straight to Vatican City and CNN's Jim Bittermann.

Why are they being so quiet, Jim?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think, Betty, one of the things that they have decided upon is that they want to have this period of reflection between now and the beginning of the conclave when they can reflect on who the candidate they would prefer to see as pope should be.

And so, they also feel, and I think this is something the Vatican press office certainly feels, is that too much loose talk right now might tend to favor one cardinal candidate or another, that the press might be able to influence some of the cardinals with its reporting if we were to see -- we were to have interviews with cardinals on the air.

Now having said all that, I suspect, and I've already talked to a couple of cardinals and formally even since that press -- gag rule went into effect yesterday. The -- I suspect that over the next couple days, we're going to see people violating that gag rule. We're going to see some interviews with some of the cardinals as the days wear on, becoming closer to the conclave -- Betty?

NGUYEN: Cardinals violating the rules? Say it isn't so, Jim.

BITTERMANN: Well, I think -- you know, one of the things is this is an amazing and interesting period right now. After 26 years in which the cardinals had to bide their time and toe the line of one absolute monarch, they are now having a chance to speak and to elect freely the next pope.

And as a consequence, I think there's just a lot of pent up energy there. There's a lot of need to say some things about exactly where the church should be going. And there are very, very diverse views about that.

John Paul II laid down a very large line of pope, who is very media savvy, was out there in the public, loved young people, that sort of thing. And yet, he left behind a number of church problems, a lack of priests, lack in western Europe and the United States, particularly lack of people in the pews on Sunday. So there are problems out there. And I think the cardinals are going to have to decide what's the best approach for tackling those problems. And that's one of the things they're going to be doing over the next few days.

One of the things that they're going to be hearing are at least exhortations. These are two speeches which will given on Thursday and on Monday at the beginning of the conclave behind closed doors. And in these exhortations, a priest, who is the pope's personal priest as well as a Jesuit cardinal, will be spelling out the kind of problems that they see in the church today and the way that they should be addressed -- Betty?

NGUYEN: A lot of issues to be dealt with in the next few days. Jim Bittermann in Vatican City. Thank you, Jim.

Rob?

MARCIANO: Back in the U.S., an accused serial bomber has reached a plea deal that spares him the death penalty. Later this week, Eric Rudolph will plead guilty to a string of attacks, including the deadly bombing of the 1996 Olympics.

Well, how do law enforcers and the victims' relatives feel about all this?

CNN's Sara Dorsey finds out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Do you consider Eric Rudolph a terrorist?

As a former Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent, Charles Stone hunted Eric Rudolph for three years and just finished a book with CNN producer Henry Schuster about the elusive alleged killer.

CHARLES STONE, FORMER FBI AGENT: I always thought that he would portray himself as a martyr. And you know, for lack of a better description, would die for the cause.

DORSEY: But instead, Rudolph agreed to a deal. Give up the location of unstable explosives he stashed in the hills of North Carolina for a sentence of life in prison, rather than a trial and a possibility of death, something that doesn't sit well with Stone.

STONE: I'll accept that it's outside of my normal venue anyway. But from a personal standpoint, I would have been opposed to a plea arrangement. I would have preferred to take my chances on a trial and seek a death penalty.

DORSEY: Why did you want to see him die?

STONE: Because of what he did. You're talking about a man who put a large bomb in a park field full of men, women and children with the intention of killing as many people as he could. DORSEY: One of those people was John Hawthorne's wife, Alice. He only gave his consent to the deal in order to get the hidden explosives off the streets.

JOHN HAWTHORNE, HUSBAND OF VICTIM: If it had been anything else other than that, I doubt that we could have supported it. But to keep other people from being injured, it became somewhat of a no brainer.

DORSEY: The man who police believe spent years in isolation, living in the woods and running from authorities will now likely spend the rest of his life in isolation in a maximum security prison.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: So what's next for Eric Rudolph? Well, he'll answer his first guilty plea Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama, where he is accused of the 1998 bombing of a woman's clinic. He'll then be transferred to Atlanta, where he'll plead guilty to the 1996 Olympic bombing and two other attacks.

The plea deal calls for Rudolph to be sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.

NGUYEN: Now to Britain's royal newlyweds, as they would say, who are spending their first full day together as husband and wife. Now just a short time ago, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, as she will be called, arrived for church in Scotland, where they are now on their honeymoon. This is the second time Prince Charles has spent his honeymoon there. But that is about the only thing his two weddings have in common.

CNN's Hala Gorani takes a closer look at then and now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charles and Diana, pomp and pageantry. Charles and Camilla, far more subdued.

Back then, Princess Di arrived in a carriage that would have made Cinderella jealous. This time, Camilla Parker Bowles arrived in a car.

The train on Diana's white wedding gown seemed a mile long. This time, the bridge wore a more modest off-white dress. A stark contrast in the venues as well. Charles and Di got married inside the dome splendor of St. Paul's Cathedral.

This time a town hall in Windsor set the stage. Charles and Di's vows were heard around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With this ring.

PRINCE CHARLES: With this ring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thee wed.

PRINCE CHARLES: I thee wed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With my body.

PRINCE CHARLES: With my body.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thee honor.

PRINCE CHARLES: I thee honor.

GORANI: This time, the words spoken at a church blessing after the civil ceremony seemed almost business like.

ROWAN WILLIAMS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: God is love. And they that dwell in love dwell in God and God in them.

GORANI: Some 600,000 people turned out in 1981 at St. Paul's. And it seemed all of England was part of the celebration. This time, outside the town hall, the crowd was much smaller. Back then, the wedding of Charles and Di was a fairy tale event. This time, the media spoofed the prince and his second wife, who many still consider a mistress.

And what about the queen? She was a very prominent presence at the first wedding. This time around, she was a no show with the civil ceremony, but she did attend the blessing.

For Charles, two very different relationships. A stormy marriage to Diana, a long time controversial romance with Camilla.

The couple, no longer prince and mistress, but husband and wife.

Hala Gorani, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And you'll want to be sure to watch our in depth look at the long relationship between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles and its impact on the royal family. That is CNN's "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS." And it's tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

MARCIANO: Well, filling your gas tank means emptying your wallet again. Yes, we've hit another record high for gasoline prices. The new high, $2.26 a gallon. AAA says for the first time, average prices topped $2.00 in all 50 states.

With the price of gas so high, drivers are quick to hunt for ways to save money at the pumps. And that search often leads consumers for the Internet.

For instance, gasbuddy.com is a popular Web site that helps you find the cheapest gas prices in your area. And all you have to do is click on your state and put in your zip code. Then you can put in your city's name and up comes a list of prices and stations in your area. We checked it out and found that there are several Atlanta stations still selling, Betty, gasoline for $1.99 a gallon.

NGUYEN: No way. $1.99?

MARCIANO: We'll have to hunt those out.

NGUYEN: Yes, I'm going to hunt those down.

MARCIANO: These figures come from the web users who spot lower prices in their neighborhoods nationwide and then send them to the Web site. Again, you want to check that out. It's www.gasbuddy.com.

Well, let us know what you think of the higher gas prices. Are they changing the way you drive? That's our e-mail question this morning at wam@cnn.com. Let us know. We'll reading your responses throughout the morning.

NGUYEN: Yes, they're changing the way I drive. But now that I found what $1.99?

MARCIANO: Somewhere.

NGUYEN: I paid $2.50 the other day.

MARCIANO: Yes. And it's pretty cheap in Georgia.

NGUYEN: Per gallon. I know. Can you imagine what it's like in California?

MARCIANO: At least $3.00.

NGUYEN: That's painful.

MARCIANO: Well, we'll have to carpool next time around.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes, you'll be picking me up very early in the morning. How about that? Yes, I'll take that, Rob.

MARCIANO: All right, good deal.

NGUYEN: Well some say the world is made of those that do and those who dream. When we come back, two 14-year olds, well they are doing both. This morning's look at "PEOPLE" magazine's teenagers who could change the world.

MARCIANO: Plus, the wedding is an unlikely place you can take your vows and buy a gifts all at the same time. Orelon Sidney?

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. Starting to see some snow now in Denver. Finally changing over from the rain last night. Current temperature, 33 degrees. You're going to see as much as 12 inches in parts of Colorado. We'll talk about that and the rest of your forecast in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In news across America now, Florida state lawmakers are considering a bill to require electronic bracelets for sex offenders. It came up during a town hall meeting in Citrus County, where officials are trying to calm fearful residents in the wake of Jessica Lunsford's murder.

Now that's because authorities have lost track of the sex offender who was living across the street from the little girl, and was eventually arrested in her killing.

The Wendy's hamburger chain is still investigating an alleged incident of a human finger, Rob, which was found in its chili at a Las Vegas restaurant. So far, they cannot seem to find any logical source for the digit in the restaurant supply chain. The company is offering $50,000 to anyone with credible information on where it came from.

Now the woman who says she bit into that finger, has a history of making liability claims against large companies.

MARCIANO: Aha. More on that still to come.

NGUYEN: Yes.

MARCIANO: A new commercial will be airing on MTV featuring a constellation of famous stars. Their appeal is simple. The celebrities are pitching Americans to help ease global poverty. MTV promises heavy rotation for the commercial, which debuts tonight.

And it wasn't exactly a royal wedding, but it was still one for the books. Beverly McKuen (ph) says her co-workers at Wal-mart couldn't get the day off to attend her wedding, so she brought the wedding to them at Wal-Mart. The groom arrived from Texas just in time for the nuptials. And the couple met on the Internet.

Speaking of weddings, stories about the royal wedding are getting a lot of hits on the Internet this morning. Later this hour, CNN.com's Veronica de la Cruz takes a walk down the aisle with the royal couple right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: Well, community service is the theme of this morning's tribute to teenagers, who are working to change the world. Time now for our weekly look at "TEEN PEOPLE" magazine's profile of these youngsters.

This morning, you'll meet the 14-year old founder of Project Fame, which is an organization that has so far donated more than $150,000 worth of fine arts materials to nursing homes in more than 30 states.

(MUSIC)

NGUYEN: Then there is the 14-year old founder of Children to Children, which has provided foster care kids with about $850,000 in much needed supplies. And guess what? Here they are, Children to Children founder Makenzie Snyder. She joins us from our Washington bureau.

And Project Fame's 14-year old founder William Dunckelman. He joins us from our New Orleans bureau there.

Thank you so much, both of you, for getting up with us.

WILLIAM DUNCKELMAN, ELDERLY ACTIVIST ARTS EDUCATION: Good morning.

NGUYEN: Good morning. Well, let's start with you with William. What inspired you to start working with elderly -- the elderly?

DUNCKELMAN: I actually started working with the elderly when I was very young. I have a lot of diseases and illnesses that the symptoms are commonly associated with the older generation and aging.

I've had shingles. I've had Tigus (ph), which is similar to cataracts. And I've also have a disease that affects my sweat glands, which is called Hyperhydrosis.

So I thought I knew what the pains of aging were like. And I began volunteering at the nursing homes. And I think it was then that I realized that when you go to the nursing homes, that there's a much deeper pain than just the physical pains you think of when you think of aging.

And there was also an emotional pain that wasn't being met.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

DUNCKELMAN: So, right. So I enacted Concerned Citizens within my group, within my city groups. And large and small businesses alike to help provide me with fine arts materials like videos, cassettes, DVDs, books, even theatrical performances with younger children in nursing homes to try to supply an emotionally and intellectually stimulating materials for the nursing homes.

NGUYEN: You know, I am just amazed, because you were 11-years old when you started this. One, not only that you understood the pains, but the emotional pains as well. And you wanted to do something about that.

Now this fame project has grown. Tell us how fast it's grown and how were you able to make it grow so fast?

DUNCKELMAN: I think because people recognized that it was doing such good work, my program. And actually, right now, I have the program in 35 states. And I've delivered over $155,000 worth of fine arts materials to nursing homes across America.

NGUYEN: That is great.

Makenzie, let's talk to you for a moment because you are helping foster children. What inspired you to do that?

MAKENZIE SNYDER, FOSTER CHILDREN'S ACTIVIST: What inspired me was when I went to this foster care kid summit. I went there and I met these two foster care kids. And they told me that they had to carry their stuff in trash bags when they moved from home to home. And they were like, yes, we have to carry stuff in either a trash bag or a shoe box. And they were so scared because some just stranger came up to their door and was like here's a trash bag, come with me.

And they have to go and live with someone that they don't even know. And I met this kid the other night. And he -- he's been to like 37 different foster care homes.

NGUYEN: My goodness.

SNYDER: It's really sad.

NGUYEN: OK. So it's one thing to want to help, but it's another thing -- and I've got to ask you -- how in the world did you raise $850,000? And what did you do with that money?

SNYDER: It's just from all the support that I've had from my family and just people all across the country. And just people wanting to help out and lend a hand in community service.

And I have all my friends helping me pack the bags. And what I do with the money that I get is buy duffle bags for the kids in foster care. Because right now I have over 6,000 stuffed animals and no duffle bags.

NGUYEN: My goodness. That is wonderful work that you're both doing. We appreciate you sharing that with us. And hopefully inspiring others to make a difference in the world. Thank you both.

SNYDER: Thank you.

DUNCKELMAN: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Rob?

MARCIANO: Oh, what were you doing when you were there?

NGUYEN: Gosh, not that. And I should have been. If we all were doing something like that, boy, this world would be a better place.

MARCIANO: You know, one thing I like about you is you've always complained that there's not enough weather on this show.

NGUYEN: Never enough.

MARCIANO: So today, we have two meteorologists. Orelon Sydney's coming up next with a look at the forecast. There's some nasty weather heading in the Midwest.

NGUYEN: Plus, with no wins in the last 10 majors, there is a tiger on the prowl. We have an update from the Masters. That's still to come right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Well, things are just ducky for at least one lady in our nation's capital. This mama mallard has up residence on a mulch pile outside the Treasury Department along with her nine eggs.

NGUYEN: Wow.

MARCIANO: To make sure no one disturbs her brood, the Secret Service has been set up to watch. Treasury workers are calling the mama mallard T-bill or Duck Cheney. The plan is to move her closer to water once her ducklings hatch.

NGUYEN: Obviously, she's a big attraction there. It's a good thing she's not in Denver, huh?

MARCIANO: Yes, I think we have some snow heading into Denver. Skiers are latching up their...

NGUYEN: They're ready to go.

MARCIANO: How much are they going to get, Orelon, what do you think?

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Well, it is an image that symbolizes the changing course of history in Iraq, the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein. And there it is, once again. We will take you live to Baghdad as the world marks two years since Saddam held power.

MARCIANO: Plus, once again, a rare virus creates a major health crisis. More than 100 dead so far. Headlines from around the world next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Time right now to check on some of the other stories making news in other parts of the world.

NGUYEN: It is the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. So for details on how it's being remembered and the other big news stories around the globe, we turn it now over to Anand Naidoo at the CNN International Desk.

Good morning, Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning to you. Yes, that's right. The second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. Iraqi lawmakers have been meeting to -- on that second anniversary. And it's their first meeting since choosing a prime minister.

CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Baghdad to tell us more about how that second anniversary is being commemorated.

Aneesh?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anand, good morning. As you say, the national assembly meeting today, not to elect a prime minister, a cabinet. That is the final vote before the transitional government is complete. Instead, dealing with internal security matters. It comes as we said all morning on the second anniversary of Baghdad's fall. Iraqis having a varied response.

Yesterday in Firdos Square, thousands upon thousands, both Shia and Sunni Iraqis, pouring out in protest, calling on the coalition forces to withdraw immediately. If they don't, to at least provide a timetable.

Also calling for Saddam Hussein to face immediate justice. They also depicted scenes from Abu Ghraib, the prison abuse scandal. Really an outpouring of anger and impatience among Iraqis that are ready for this country to be fully sovereign.

It was largely peaceful, though. But it was in that exact square two years ago to the day that the world was hypnotized as Iraqis jubilant, newly liberated, tore down that statue of Saddam Hussein, along with help from American tanks.

At that moment, the world thought that things would get better, that the war was perhaps over. No one really prepared for the insurgency that lied ahead.

So the contrasting images suggesting the complex nature of the past two years. But for most Iraqis, this past week has been the most critical. The transitional government really starting to take shape, a directly elected government that they deem legitimate. And hopefully, can deal with some of the pressing concerns, like the insurgency and basic services.

Security brought to light again today on it. A Pakistani official with the embassy here in the capital city, gone missing this morning and now presumed to have been kidnapped.

NAIDOO: All right, thanks, Aneesh. Aneesh Raman there talking to us from Baghdad.

Now to another part of the Middle East. Israeli police confronting extremist demonstrators in the disputed city of Jerusalem. Thousands of riot police sealed off a hill top shrine in Jerusalem's walled old city. However, only a handful of demonstrators turned up, leading police to believe the gathering was meant as an exercise for a much larger protest, which is planned for later this summer. Ultra nationalist Israelis plan the demonstrations in protest against Israel's planned pull out from Gaza.

We move now to Angola, a country that we don't hear about very often. There's a disaster in the making there. A rare Ebola type virus has killed 174 people in the country. At least 200 people were infected. U.N. officials say they've had some success countering these so-called Marburg virus, but they warn it's still a national health crisis. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has also a team out to the southern African country.

Like Ebola, Marburg is a blood borne disease. It kills very rapidly. And there is no vaccine for that disease.

That's all for me for now. Later on, we'll look at anti-Japanese protests in China. But for now, back to Rob and Betty. NGUYEN: All right, thank you, Anand.

MARCIANO: Thanks, Anand. Well coming up at noon on "LATE EDITION," Wolf Blitzer's exclusive interview with Iraq's new president Jalal Talabani about the country's road to democracy.

Now to security watch, updating you on the week's major developments in the war on terror every Sunday morning. Researchers at the non-profit National Academies say although it's a long shot, spent fuel rods stored inside the U.S. are vulnerable to terrorist attack. Spent fuel rods are a by-product of nuclear reactors.

The scientists say an attack could lead to a fire that would release large amounts of radioactive materials. The government agency that oversees the nation's nuclear program disagrees, saying the rods are well protected.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he's willing to listen to suggestions on how to change the Patriot Act. He is against changes though that would limit law enforcement powers that were approved after 9/11. Elements of the law are set to expire at the end of the year, unless they're renewed by Congress.

And coming soon to a border crossing near you, passports. If you plan a vacation or do business in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean or Bermuda, you'll need a passport soon. It's a new rule. It'll be phased in in 2008.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

NGUYEN: Well, we have an update from the biggest golf tournament of the year. That's still ahead. And the leader board -- from the Masters. We'll take you there. CNN SUNDAY MORNING in just a moment.

MARCIANO: Plus, are high gas prices driving you to look for a deal? Tell us what you think. We are at...

NGUYEN: Are you nuts -- they could drive you nuts, too, Rob.

MARCIANO: Yes, that, too. Wam@cnn.com. We're reading your e- mails throughout the morning. Give us a little e-mail for us and we'll have you part of the show. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Well, it was three decades in the making, but Britain's future king finally ties the knot with his true love. Veronica de la Cruz joins us with more on the royal wedding, as if we haven't had enough. Tell us some more.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, no. Well, Rob, you're right about that. After a 35-year history together, 35 years, they finally tied the knot yesterday. And I know that you saw it, right?

MARCIANO: Of course. Right at 3:00 a.m. on.

DE LA CRUZ: Exactly, but just in case you missed it, CNN.com takes a walk down the aisle for the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DE LA CRUZ (voice-over): For the relationship that practically defines star crossed lovers, the two first met at a polo match in 1970. The story is a case of romantic history repeating. It said that Camilla's great grandmother was a long time mistress of the great, great grandfather of Charles. Charles and Camilla's history is chronicled in this timeline at cnn.com/royal weddings.

But who is this woman that stole the heart of the man set to be the king of England? In this profile, learn more about Camilla Parker Bowles.

Princess Diana often blamed her for the failure of her own marriage to Charles. But Camilla played a part in encouraging the match between the two. The prince is said to have proposed to Diana in Camilla's vegetable garden.

Britons have been long divided over whether Charles should remarry. His announcement of the wedding plans didn't come without controversy. How do you feel about the wedding of Charles and Camilla? You can log on and weigh in, in our interactive poll.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DE LA CRUZ: And if you are curious to find out the results of that quick vote, 30,000 votes have been tallied. The latest poll numbers show that 13 percent disapprove, 18 percent approve, and 69 percent just don't care.

So where do you factor in?

MARCIANO: I guess I'm in the 69 percent. No...

DE LA CRUZ: Oh.

MARCIANO: No. It was fun to watch. And you know, there was a lot of things going on the past couple days.

DE LA CRUZ: And all those crazy hats.

MARCIANO: Yes. I don't know what quite that was, that bird's nest or what she had going on.

DE LA CRUZ: The twigs.

MARCIANO: The twigs, yes. But anyway, it's always fun to watch a royal wedding.

Thanks, Veronica.

DE LA CRUZ: Of course.

NGUYEN: I kind of thought it was more like a tumbleweed that just kind of got stuck there. Oh, well, all right.

MARCIANO: We wish them the best of luck.

NGUYEN: Yes, we do.

MARCIANO: Enjoy your honeymoon.

NGUYEN: Enjoy yourselves in Scotland. Well, could this be the day that Tiger Woods ends his drought? The thirsty champion is trying to end his string of 10 straight losses at major tournaments. We have an update on the Masters. That's next.

MARCIANO: Plus, CNN sports analyst Rick Horrow takes us beyond the game. And yet again, he's wearing a goofy hat. Hi, Rick. And the best part of the show because he can't talk back.

NGUYEN: No, we can't hear you. Sorry, Rick. You can talk all day, but we can't hear you. We'll be back.

MARCIANO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) our topic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Good morning, Washington, as the sun comes up over the capital city into the White House. And a beautiful Washington Monument in the background. We'll have your forecast coming in just a little bit.

But right now, we want to check some of the top stories. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is on his way to Texas, to meet with President Bush. Sharon is hoping to reaffirm President Bush's support for an Israeli pullout in Gaza. It will be Sharon's first visit to the president's ranch.

Leaders of an advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse are flying to Rome to protest. They're upset Cardinal Bernard Law was celebrating mass as the Vatican. Law stepped down as Archbishop of Boston after court documents showed he knowingly moved priests accused of sexual abuse. Law will lead a mass tomorrow to honor the late Pope John Paul II.

And Britain's Prince Charles and his new bride, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are spending their first full day as husband and wife in Scotland. The two were married in Windsor, England. That happened yesterday.

Plus, some American high school students may feel a little like royalty. They won't have to spend a penny for their college degree. Find out why they're getting a free ride in the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

MARCIANO: Well, it's been rain and shine at the Masters Golf Tournament after 45 holes, the stage is set for a great Sunday. Chris DiMarco has a four shot lead, but Tiger Woods is coming on strong. With three days of rain delays, both DiMarco and Woods have played -- have to play 27 holes. Players get an early start today to complete the third round. Meantime, Jack Nicklaus says he's done with the Masters, this time for good.

And no matter who wins the Masters, there's really only one true ruler when it comes to endorsements. That man's Tiger Woods. Well, what's interesting is the distance between Woods and the rest of the world's top players.

Take a look at this. Tiger Woods makes $89 million a year in endorsements alone. Last year's Masters winner Phil Mickelson is second on the list at $26 million. And golf's current number one player, Vijay Singh, is getting about $19 million a year in endorsements. That's 20 percent of Tiger's take.

The business of golf is a topic this morning, as we take you beyond the game. The latest syndicated guest is that there is 37 million golfers in the world or U.S. right now. One of them is the author of "When the Game Is on the Line," CNN sports analyst Rick Horrow.

He didn't say -- well, Rick, where are you?

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Hi.

MARCIANO: Hey, buddy. Hey, Tony wanted me to say that you're not a very good golfer, but I can't bring myself to do that.

HORROW: First of all, let me tell you something. I got my Masters head covers, got the balls from this weekend, got the Masters socks. And you, more than anybody, know that you can't say that I'm not a good golfer, because I've seen you wilt first hand man.

And so we're ready to take it on. Let's get it going.

MARCIANO: I didn't know you were back from town the other day. And you refused to call me for a full game of golf. But that's another topic. And I'd love to Masters tickets next year. So just keep that in mind. And if it means, you know, being nice to you on the air, we'll do that as well.

HORROW: Well, you tell me when we're going to start because, you know, the first thing you were talking about is television. And so, that's a big deal because it's all fit with Tiger. You know, you were mentioning Tiger.

MARCIANO: Well, Tiger, you know, he was dominant at one point. And there was this huge resurgence in the game, you know, around 1996. But I mean, he was -- he looked good yesterday. But he's not quite dominant anymore. Has there been a leveling off of the interest?

HORROW: Yes, well, it'd be a great round if 27 holes from how, he and Chris DiMarco are in the final pairing. And we know the correlation between Tiger and ratings, especially over the last few years. If he does well, he won the Ford in Miami, he won in San Diego, ratings are high. He didn't get to the match play finals at Lacosta, ratings are not.

$850 million TV deal, largely because of the impact of Tiger. Now we're stabilizing. The ratings are still up 13 percent in the last decade for the tour. That's more than any sport.

We're entering a new round of TV negotiations, though. And the key is how to keep that momentum going.

We have 500 million rounds of golf every year, which is the good news. The bad news is it's declined every year for the past three years. So something has to change a bit.

MARCIANO: All right, beyond TV, let's talk about the every day hacks like you and me. Just exactly what kind of golfers are typically out there across the U.S.?

HORROW: Every day hack like you, let's compare the demographics. The average demographic is 39-year old male. He make about $66,000. He has $75,000 in stock. $500,000 in life insurance. He owns 2.5 cars. I'd like to see your half a car. And he surfs the Internet twice as much as the national average. That's why corporate America loves it.

The key, though, is to get more women in the game and kids in the game. 25 percent in the new golfers are women. More needs to be done to broaden and diversify that base.

MARCIANO: I'd like to see my second car and all that money in life insurance also.

Hey, let's talk a little bit more about corporate America. Obviously, huge amounts of money pouring in. Is corporate America happy with golf?

HORROW: Corporate America is ecstatic with golf, Rob. And the bottom line is in purses and prize money. $1.5 million per tournament 10 years ago and now well over $5 million. And the key right now is to keep that going. A $30 million sponsorship with Coke and the PGA tour.

You also have blue chip sponsors who sponsor these tournaments. Bank of America, Buick, Ford, 84 Lumber, for example. Of the major tournaments, you've got 12 of these national sponsors renewing past 2010, which is good for the long term growth of the game.

MARCIANO: All right. It's going to be a great -- who are you picking, by the way, in the Masters this afternoon?

HORROW: It's going to be a four way playoff. And Tiger's going to win after 17 playoff holes.

MARCIANO: Oh, come on.

HORROW: What do you think of that?

MARCIANO: Oh, I think about time a paysan went. I'm going with DiMarco. Hey, a quick fair ball, foul ball. What do you got?

HORROW: Yes, well, you know, the foul ball is interesting. The hockey general managers in Detroit looked at a proposal for a 13 percent increase in the size of the goal.

Good news. Bottom line is nobody to play, nobody to shoot, because there's a lockout today. So we've got to solve that problem before we start worrying about how big the goal ought to be.

MARCIANO: They should have learned their lesson from baseball, I suppose. We'll see what happens next year.

OK, fair ball?

HORROW: Well, the fair ball is if you're a Yankee fan. We have $2.2 billion in payroll. And the Yankees, by the way, $97 million this year just for their pitching staff, which is more than 26 teams' entire payroll.

So the bottom line is the Yankees play it again financially well beyond everybody else. That may be the foul ball, but it's a fair ball if you're a Yankee pitcher.

MARCIANO: Or a Yankee fan, of which I am. So I completely agree with that. Capitalism in that case is good. Hey, Rick, I hope you had fun at the Masters. Great to see you. Let's tee it up, all right, buddy? I mean that. Next time...

HORROW: Hey, it's great. We'll tee it up the next couple months, pal. I'll take your money.

MARCIANO: We'll see you later. All right, that's enough from Rick Harrow, our sports analyst. Betty, back over to you.

NGUYEN: He's always ready to take somebody's money. Well, hey, with gas prices topping $2.00 a gallon, I don't blame him. Are you driving less these days because of the high prices? We are getting your e-mails on the subject this morning. We'll read some of them when CNN SUNDAY MORNING returns. We're at wam@cnn.com. Send them in.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Let me just say, we are prepared here for any type of weather you want to throw at us today.

MARCIANO: That's right, we're going to get to Orelon Sydney. So they've got two meteorologists here today.

NGUYEN: Two of them on staff. And we're going to get to her in just a minute.

First, though, we want to talk about those e-mails of the day. Gas prices, they're over $2.00 a gallon. Are they changing the way that you drive? Are these higher gas prices changing your driving habits? Well, we've had a lot of responses this morning.

Myrna from Canada says, "Hey, America! Want something to complain about? Gas prices in Nova Scotia convert to about $3.78 a US gallon!" $3.00. "And you guys are STILL driving SUVs..." Good point.

MARCIANO: Here's another one from Annette in Petersburg, Virginia. "My mom and I both on a limited income, used to ride around looking, shopping, etc., now we just go to do what we have to do, come home." This is good for us. And they "watch TV."

NGUYEN: Yes, CNN hopefully.

MARCIANO: "And hope there is a good movie on..." And hopefully watch more of CNN.

NGUYEN: Movies? She should put CNN right there.

MARCIANO: That's true.

NGUYEN: Yes, we're going to change that.

MARCIANO: Speaking of at cnn, wam@cnn.com. We want to know what you think about the higher gas prices. Are they changing your driving habits?

NGUYEN: Well, if you're headed out today, you may be facing some rough weather outside.

MARCIANO: Yes, a little snow -- still have snow tires on in Denver, although Orelon, you said, probably be warm enough so that it doesn't stick all that much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MARCIANO: This is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's Sunday, April 10th, 8 a.m. here at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 7 a.m. in Crawford, Texas.

Good morning. I'm Rob Marciano in for Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: Glad to have you today, Rob. And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks for being with us.

Now in the news. Israel's prime minister is headed to the U.S. this morning, ahead of tomorrow's meeting at President Bush's Texas ranch. Ariel Sharon wants to boost U.S. support for Israel's upcoming pullout from Gaza, but Bush is opposing some of Israel's other plans including settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Empty windows at the Vatican's papal apartments this morning. A stark reminder that Pope John Paul II is no longer with us. There was no traditional Sunday blessing as the mourning period for the late pontiff goes on.

And Britain's new royal couple emerged from their honeymoon estate in Scotland this morning. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles went to a small church service a day after tying the royal knot. Dozens of villagers, as you can imagine, greeted the newlyweds.

MARCIANO: And two years ago, there was joy in the streets of Baghdad. Now there's growing anger after the fall. That story is just ahead. Also they studied hard and did their homework, now it's really paying off. And a higher calling in our "Faces of Faith." We'll introduce you to a woman who's starting a lifelong long spiritual journey.

NGUYEN: Well, our top story this hour. One visitor simply put it this way, "These are groups, but there is no holy father." That was the sad description and solemn reality in Rome this morning two days after Pope John Paul II was laid to rest.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is in Vatican City with the latest this morning. Hi, Jim.

BITTERMANN: Hi, Betty. Despite the fact that it's a rainy, miserable day here and despite the fact that there is no pope in the Vatican, dozens of people did show up in St. Peter's Square this morning around the time of the Angelus, that's the traditional noontime prayer. Normally, the pope would appear. If he were in town, he would appear at the windows of the Vatican and give the blessing. And all those Sundays that he was in Rome, he always appeared over the 26 years to give the noontime blessing, right up until two weeks ago. And for the last two Sundays there has been no pope giving the Angelus. And so there is kind of an empty feeling in the Vatican.

The other thing was that there are normally are fairly large masses on Sunday here if the pope is in office and in town, and this Sunday of course nothing of the kind. There are always masses going on in St. Peter's, but not the kind of big mass that you'd normally have on a Sunday -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Jim, let's talk about the selection of a new pope. Are the cardinals speaking at all about this process or who they may have in mind?

BITTERMANN: Well, in fact, one of the things that has been imposed since yesterday is this gag rule that the cardinals have imposed on themselves. They unanimously voted, according to the Vatican press office, to keep silence on the issue about who should be the next pope, and reflect and consult among themselves.

However, I am not quite sure. I think we're going to probably see some of them speaking out a bit. There's a lot of pent-up, I wouldn't say anxiety, but a lot of pent-up emotion about who should be the next pope, because the fact is that the last 26 years there have been some problems cropping up in the church. A lot of these cardinals have seen them directly in their archdiocese around the world, and they've come to Rome knowing that this is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to affect the direction of the church. So they're taking this quite seriously. They're going to be, over the next week, doing something the Italians describe as practica (ph), which is a kind of a subtle consultation process, a tea, a coffee, a meal shared with other cardinals, during which they will talk about some of the issues. And then there are a couple of formal things that are happening.

There are two formal exhortations, which are kind of sermons, which will outline the kind of problems seen by two leading churchman, the kind of problems that are facing the Catholic Church today. And from that, they will kind of develop a robosketch of the kind of person that might be necessary to fill the shoes of Pope John Paul II -- Betty.

NGUYEN: In Vatican City, Jim Bittermann, thank you.

MARCIANO: Now to the situation in Iraq. This weekend marked the major milestone in the battle for Baghdad. For more now we turn to CNN's Aneesh Raman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice-over): The joy of two years ago replaced this day with anger. Chanting "no, no America," thousands of protesters filling Firdos Square, demanding coalition troops withdraw.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN (through translator): We are here to demand that the occupiers leave Iraq and put a timetable for their withdrawal now.

RAMAN: A far cry from the riveting elation in this same square as Baghdad fell, as newly liberated Iraqis, with the help of American tanks, tore down a statue of Saddam Hussein. Ado Meti (ph) watched it unfold from his balcony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The tank brought the room, small room for the policemen there.

RAMAN: The tanks remain, but thoughts of Saddam, it seems, are fading.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's gone. He's not an issue now. He's gone. We have something more important than Saddam. He's something from history.

RAMAN (on camera): Along with the scores of Iraqis that fill this square, all around the world people watched as Saddam's statue came down. Months later it was replaced by this, a monument to peace, a panorama of Iraqi life.

(voice-over): A statue surrounded this day by Iraqi impatience, a desire to be without any foreign presence and to see their former dictator face justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They are lying. They are not going to try Saddam. It has been two years since America occupied Iraq and it only gives false promises. RAMAN: As the transitional government takes hold, among the many concerns they must soon confront are these voices. The honeymoon for Iraq's new government if it ever existed seems all but over.

Aneesh Raman, CNN Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: And now the story of the man who is missing and still very much missed.

Hundreds of people in Claremont County, Ohio yesterday marked the fist anniversary of soldier Matt Maupin's capture in Iraq. He is the only soldier who is still listed by the U.S. Army as captured, one year after his convoy came under attack near the Baghdad Airport. Despite his uncertain status, the Army recently promoted Maupin to sergeant.

NGUYEN: We begin our news across America now with questions that come up as a community dreams. The folks in Homosassa, Florida want to know how safe are their children. That was the focus of a forum there yesterday, a few weeks after 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted and killed allegedly by a registered sex offender, who had been living just across the street.

Lawmakers say they'll toughen Florida's laws against sex offenders.

In Oklahoma, out of one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history, a memorial to mourn and remember. Inside the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, the axle from the Ryder truck Timothy McVeigh used to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah federal building.

It was found near the cite and had been in the FBI's custody. That 1995 bombing killed 168 people.

And our last story involves a bit of a riddle. What can turn a gas guzzler into a penny pincher? Yet another record high price for the price of gasoline that is, $2.26 a gallon. That is how much it will cost you on average right now. AAA says for the first time average prices topped two bucks in all 50 states.

I'm feeling it.

And that brings us to our morning e-mail question for you. Are higher gas prices changing the way that you drive, your driving habits? All you have to do is send us your thoughts. Mail that to wam@cnn.com. We will be reading your responses all morning long.

MARCIANO: And with gas prices the way they are, you parents out there might have to dip into your kids college accounts just to keep a tank filled up. But some parents in the Washington area at least won't have that problem. Our Kathleen Koch explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A price patrol on the prowl of Washington, D.C. public high schools...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is Baba (ph) available?

KOCH: ...seeking nine seniors who hit the academic jackpot, full scholarships to George Washington University worth nearly $200,000 each.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to thank all of my teachers that helped me.

STEVE TRACHTENBERG, PRESIDENT, GW: My name is Steve Trachtenberg...

KOCH: Presentations by GW's president at Bannaker High School may have had a game show quality.

TRACHTENBERG: Miss Thou Han Tren (ph), Crystal (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KOCH: But he made clear the university has serious expectations.

TRACHTENBERG: We expect that they're going to work their tails off, and graduate at the absolute top of their class.

KOCH: Twenty thousand students applied for the scholarships. They are awarded every year by the university based on grades, SAT scores, community service and other achievements.

Saba Fassil came to the United States two years ago from Ethiopia and plans to study medicine.

SABA FASSIL, STUDENT: I feel blessed. I feel excited.

TAWANA EDWARDS, SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: She does want to become a medical doctor. She's been saying that since she was three years old almost since she could speak.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Charles Conway.

KOCH: Charles Conway has spent his teens years living with his great aunt who is already putting five other children through college.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just praise God for this blessing.

CHARLES CONWAY, SCHOLARSHIP WINNER: I'm speechless really.

KOCH: Charles had limited his search to small, inexpensive colleges until a teacher passed on valuable advice.

CONWAY: I shouldn't worry about the money right now just focus on applying and getting into school and then the money will come.

KOCH: With this money comes limitless opportunity for the self described scholar, athlete who hopes to go to law school.

FANNIE SINGLETARY, CHARLES' GREAT AUNT: I see him stepping into wonderful, wonderful adventures in life and greatness to depths of everything of the American dream.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much.

KOCH: And on a day full of surprises.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wasn't expecting this at all. My mom had kept the secret pretty well.

KOCH: Dreams and reality don't seem so far apart.

Kathleen Koch, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: Well, she's young, fun loving and answering a call to serve God. In today's "Faces of Faith," the choices and challenges one woman makes as she considers life as a nun.

NGUYEN: Also ahead, Tiger's attack. Will it be enough though for a Masters win. We'll have an update on the action in Augusta. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look at this family. No, you are not seeing things. A husband overseas in Iraq and 11, 11 children to care for at home. We will meet one very busy Navy wife. That's coming up in the 9 a.m. hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: This just in to CNN. We want to talk about another earthquake in Indonesia. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Sunday, today near Sumatra, Indonesia. That's according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Now the quake was centered 70 miles southwest of Padang, Sumatra. And as you recall, just about two weeks ago there was another earthquake near this area. It was an 8.7 magnitude quake. There are no tsunamis or at least any warnings indicated with this particular quake, with the one two weeks ago there were really no warnings either. Of course a lot of folks in the area staying very prepared after that December 26th earthquake and the killer tsunamis that occurred because of that that killed hundreds of thousands.

But just as a reminder, this just in to CNN. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck today near Sumatra about 70 miles southwest of Padang, Sumatra. But so far no tsunami warnings or watches have been issued. Of course we will stay on top of this and bring you the latest when we get it in to CNN.

MARCIANO: Thanks, Betty. A look now at our top stories.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is in route to the U.S. to meet with President Bush. Sharon wants to -- he wants support for his plan to evacuate Jewish settlers from Gaza. But Bush objects to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Verizon Communications has agreed to buy a 13 percent stake in MCI one of its biggest stock holders. It's a move to help Verizon's take over bid for the long distance carrier. Verizon wants MCI's national fiber optic network and a roster of lucrative clients.

And they're teeing off just about right now for the final 27 holes of the Masters Golf Tournament. Chris DiMarco at 13 under leads Tiger Woods by four strikes. Should be a good play off...

NGUYEN: Yes, if the weather isn't too bad. It got rained out a little bit earlier this week.

MARCIANO: It did. But they're drying out. The greens should be firming up. It's going to be a good Sunday (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

NGUYEN: To watch it from home, right, unfortunately?

Orelon Sidney joins us now with a look at that weather outside.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: All right. Check this out. A regular girl from Philadelphia and her unconditional career choice. That story is next in our weekly look at the Faces of Faith.

MARCIANO: And later on "HOUSE CALL" America's sleep problem. How not enough time in the sack is hurting your health. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: In the past week the news has been dominated by stories of Pope John Paul II and the Catholic church. But in this week's Faces of Faith we look at another very familiar symbol of the Catholic church, the nun.

Deborah Feyerick of one woman just beginning a new life in the convent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT voice-over): The first thing you notice about 26 year old Meaghan Patterson is her laugh. The second thing should probably make a really good nun.

MEAGHAN PATTERSON, NOVICE: I don't know if I've had a specific ah-ha moment, but I'm coming to be more myself.

FEYERICK: Meaghan is a novice. The Catholic term for a nun in training. She lives with the Sisters of St. Joseph in Philadelphia the same order as the nun who wrote "Dead Man Walking."

PATTERSON: We're pretty normal. I mean we do stuff that anybody would do. We get up in the morning. We wear pajamas to bed.

FEYERICK: Meaghan began thinking about a career in religion in college. She had boy friends though no one serious. And she majored in English.

PATTERSON: My senior seminar was on Jane Austin. I love the British literature, love it. So I chose to look at the themes of courtship and marriage.

FEYERICK: When she's not studying Catholicism Meaghan is working at the Sisters' welcoming center in the drug ridden Kensington area. She teaches immigrants how to read and write and helps out with whatever needs doing. And of course, there are the vows, loyalty to God, yes, money and men, no.

FEYERICK (on-camera): Do some young women with everything that's out there with all the images in magazines, on television, do some women have problems with celibacy, for example, sort of cutting themselves off from...

PATTERSON: Sure.

FEYERICK: ...regular -- Sister Charlene Diorka helps guide young women like Meaghan considering a life in the convent.

SISTER CHARLENE DIORKA, SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH: I'm not saying that celibacy is not a struggle, that it's not a sacrifice. All of us have to with that and live with that. But for some it isn't really how God is calling them.

FEYERICK: In 1960 there were 109 young women like Meaghan beginning to train for life as a nun. Meaghan was the only one in her year. Some years there aren't any. Five hundred of Meaghan's sisters are over aged 70.

Ten minutes drive from the convent Meaghan's father is holding court as principle of Queen of Peace Catholic School.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you know about the pope?

FEYERICK: He jokes that his eldest daughter should have become a doctor, lawyer or accountant so to get better Christmas presents. But he is seriously proud of her.

I think she cares for other people. I think she's a tireless worker. She has a good heart. Excuse me. She is a nice daughter.

FEYERICK: Growing up in Philadelphia Meaghan always dreamed she'd one day marry and have children. That may never be, but she's OK with that.

PATTERSON: I don't look at it as a sacrifice, that I'm not having children. I look at it as my life is called to be something else.

FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: What a sacrifice that is. Hey, and speaking of other sacrifices, not as great but a sacrifice indeed. Let's talk about higher gas prices right now. Are they changing your driving habits. We're getting lots of great responses this morning.

MARCIANO: It is our e-mail question and here is one response. "The higher prices -- oh, this is an entire one. Isn't it? "The higher prices have caused me to start driving the speed limit, which is 55 MPH. OK, that's a safe start.

NGUYEN: Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I understand that and making sure you have all the air in your tires correctly. That helps with gas too.

This other person, Ed from Flint, Michigan writes, "In the pass I used to make three separate shopping trips. " Boy, Ed likes to shop. "Now I combine my shopping and make one trip. I plan to do more walking and bike riding in place of cruising around in my ION. When I refuel, I look around and see those SUVs and I just smile."

Oh, those folks in SUVs are really paying at the pump these days. Hey, keep those e-mails coming this morning would you please? Are higher gas prices changing the way you drive around town? Wam@cnn.com.

MARCIANO: And smile no matter what.

Fighting gangs in one of America's toughest neighborhoods. We're going to look at just how hard that battle is ahead in the 9 o'clock hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NGUYEN: But first, getting your Zs. Doctor Sanjay Gupta looks at some things you can do to guarantee a healthy nights sleep. That's straight ahead on HOUSE CALL right after a check of today's top stories.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Now in the news. Another major earthquake has hit just off the western coast of Sumatra. An 8.6 is the third earthquake to hit the Indonesian island since December 26th. Unlike the December quake, there has been no indication of a tsunami from this one. We'll continue to monitor this developing story and give you the latest information as it becomes developing. That is a 6.8 earthquake. Much smaller than 8.6.

It's the first Sunday in St. Peter's Square since the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Today there was no Angelus prayer, a noon prayer traditionally conducted by the pope. Instead a polish orchestra played a solemn march.

I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Center in Atlanta. That's the latest from here. HOUSE CALL begins right now.

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