Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Pope Celebrates First Mass; Rick James Political Signs Stolen
Aired April 20, 2005 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Benedict XVI celebrating Mass this morning, his first as pope, and now telling the faithful where he will lead the Catholic Church.
Meanwhile, thousands more Americans at risk of ID theft, a major online company losing some secret information and it could be yours.
And the president, a bit of a setback in Congress, is a key nomination now in trouble? On this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: Good morning, everybody, 9:00 here in New York. I'm Bill Hemmer, good to have you along with us today.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad this morning.
HEMMER: A lot to take in today with the election of a new pope. Carol, how will Pope Benedict XVI change the direction of the church, if at all? What will it mean for America? And why did the College of Cardinals choose this man and not another? Questions that we will try and get some answer for in a moment.
COSTELLO: We certainly will. Also, how are leader of other religions reacting to Benedict XVI, who is a staunch conservative on matters of faith? We'll talk about that with a Jewish rabbi and Muslim imam.
HEMMER: It doesn't necessarily roll off the tongue just yet, does it? Benedict XVI? John Paul II.
COSTELLO: That rolls off the tongue easily because you're so used to saying it.
HEMMER: Pope Jack Cafferty.
COSTELLO: That's sacrilege.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's a sacrilege exactly, that's awful.
HEMMER: Good morning.
CAFFERTY: You're in big trouble. You'd better go to confession at 10:30. What will a new pope have to do to unite the Catholic Church? A lot of American Catholics were hoping for a more moderate pontiff, one with perhaps more liberal views on thing like the ordination of women, birth control, things like that. They're not going to get it in this man. He is nicked-named "God's rottweiler," a staunch traditionalist, a defender of the orthodoxy. So what's he going to have to do to bring everybody together? Am@cnn.com is the e- mail address.
HEMMER: And that is a big job.
CAFFERTY: Yes, it is.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
COSTELLO: Let's check on the headlines now with Valerie Morris. Good morning, Valerie.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to both of you and Jack, not to forget you at all.
"Now in the News," there's tighter security across parts of Baghdad this morning. Three suicide car bombings going off in the area in the past 24 hours, the attacks apparently targeting American and Iraqi forces. At least two U.S. soldiers are among those killed.
The nomination of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is on hold. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee delaying a scheduled vote Tuesday, but is scheduled to meet again next month. And Bolton may be asked to come back for additional questioning.
There's word U.S. Airways may merge with American West. U.S. Airways, the country's seventh-largest carrier, has already filed for bankruptcy twice. So a merger could be a good thing to keep that airline flying.
And it was a close call for two workers outside the National Security Agency's headquarters. The scaffolding the men were standing on apparently shifted, leaving them dangling in their safety harnesses. Rescuers lowered the men down one at a time. And luckily, I can tell you that no one was injured. And that's the very latest.
HEMMER: Best news, too. Valerie, thanks for that.
The new pope, Benedict XVI, outlined his path earlier today in his first Mass as pontiff about 4:00 a.m. Eastern time, promising to follow the policies of his predecessor, John Paul II, specifically, reunification of all Christians and continuing a dialogue with other religions. And after the Mass, U.S. cardinals held a news conference and they offered a softer image of the man often called a hard-liner and an enforcer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL FRANCIS EUGENE GEORGE, ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO: Who is Joseph Ratzinger? I'd say two things that were told me in the last couple of months. One was by a friend from France, a layman whom I spoke to yesterday who said, you have chosen a humble genius. And the second one is a phrase that comes back to me from an encounter I had at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, with a woman who is part of the cleaning staff there. And speaking of Cardinal Ratzinger, she said, (SPEAKING IN ITALIAN), this is a true Christian.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So which is it, then, on Benedict XVI, the hard-liner who made enemies, or the loved and respected man of the people? And which will come through in his papacy? Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete knows the new pope, he's a professor of theology at St. Joseph seminary here in New York.
Welcome back.
MSGR. LORENZO ALBACETE, PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY: Thank you, good morning.
HEMMER: Nice to see you in person. You're surprised about this.
ALBACETE: I was surprised, because, to put it mildly, it is obvious the man has an image problem. He's kind of like the ecclesiastical John Bolton. And I didn't think that the cardinals would risk, after the outpour, which so impressed you -- I was watching, about -- after the death of John Paul II. I didn't think that -- I think the fact that they knew that Cardinal Ratzinger had this problem -- which I think is not justified, but would prevent them, that they would look for someone else.
Now that they have done that, I try to think about they must have seen something that they felt was very important to take the risk of having this problem because everybody's aware of it.
HEMMER: You know him as a person, right? How would you describe him to us?
ALBACETE: He is -- I would say, of all that group there, he was the humblest man of them all.
HEMMER: Really?
ALBACETE: I was expecting -- I read him for many years before meeting him. And when I finally did, I was expecting a German professor of theology, need I go any further? As someone from the Caribbean, I had this stereotype. And yet, I was astounded at the simplicity, the almost childlike attitude. And you say, like, what's going on?
At that time, he wasn't in charge of doctrine. That's another thing, the man's job doesn't help because he's been in charge of an office that is not exactly there to generate bold and new exciting experiments.
HEMMER: You mentioned the word "risk" two answers ago. Was it risky to go with this pope or would it have been more risky to go in a different direction coming off of 26 years of Pope John Paul II? ALBACETE: No. Frankly, I think that is the case. Perhaps I have to low an opinion of the electors, because I think definitely that would have been more risky. In the end, it's really -- the problem is that the church should run by faith, and in the end, it is a question of fidelity to Christ. And the risks? Sorry (ph).
HEMMER: Yes. We've heard negatives already coming out of Europe and we've heard some negatives in this country as well. But is it not the case where this guy's going to have to come to the U.S. and at that point, people will judge him based on how they react to him, much like they did in '78, in '79 with the previous pope.
ALBACETE: Yes. This is so. Yes, this is so. And I am convinced that when people see that they will -- another, they will all run to confession the next day. But they will at least be willing to give him a chance. Because this, I don't know anybody in the church today that has a more clear vision of the dangers facing humankind.
HEMMER: Thank you, Monsignor.
ALBACETE: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Lorenzo Albacete, nice to see you. All right, now Carol.
COSTELLO: As you mentioned, Bill, there's mixed reaction to the new pope here in the United States. Many Americans say they have confidence in this pope, but at the same time, they say they don't know enough about him to form an opinion. At St. Patrick's Cathedral here in New York this morning, a sparse crowd came out for a celebratory Mass. With more reaction, our national correspondent Kelly Wallace live outside of St. Patrick's.
Good morning, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Well, at that Mass you were talking about, the bishop who presided asked Catholics to pray for Pope Benedict XVI. Big challenges definitely ahead for the new pope. And that is just one of many comments we're picking up from Catholics across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): Not long after signs the cardinals had made their decision, word about the new pope spread, from Sacramento to Southern California to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, where we found tourists from Germany...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's very conservative but I think he will be a good pope. I hope so.
WALLACE: ... executives from Hungary...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I'm very glad that a fellow European got to be elected, very excited about it. WALLACE: ... and seniors from a Catholic high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be better if we had a more liberal kind of pope, but we didn't pick him so...
(LAUGHTER)
WALLACE (on camera): Are you hopeful about this new pope?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. Maybe he'll try to be just like John Paul II.
WALLACE (voice-over): Throughout the country, two views, that Pope Benedict XVI's conservative views on issues such as the ordination of women, celibacy for priests, and birth control, make him the wrong man to lead the church into the future.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess I'm from the camp that would like maybe more of a moderate -- more moderate leadership.
WALLACE: And those who feel his strict views make him the perfect choice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think one thing we need is someone to continue that firm stand on church issues, because I think that's the problem with our church right now, is it's become a little bit too wishy-washy.
WALLACE: Back at St. Patrick's Cathedral, we found mixed feelings within one family. Jim Howland (ph) of Massachusetts was hoping for...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A change, radical change.
WALLACE (on camera): You think the church needs that right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WALLACE (voice-over): His mother-in-law?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we have to support the decision and give him our support.
WALLACE: And the top issue they'd like to see the new pope deal with?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I hope that he would continue to heal the church based on the -- you know, the scandal, the sex abuse scandal. I think that that is a very big issue and one that needs to continue to be worked on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And something else we picked up, as we talked to people yesterday, they just don't know that much about Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany. Carol, they say they're looking to get more information so they can form an opinion about him.
COSTELLO: Well, hopefully he will travel to the United States very soon. Kelly Wallace, live in New York this morning, thank you.
HEMMER: Meanwhile, for the faithful at the Vatican and for millions watching around the world, the momentous event of yesterday had its share of drama and a bit of confusion, too.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): The process of choosing a new pope was supposed to be black and white. But letting the world know when that moment arrived was many shades of gray on Tuesday. Just before 6:00 p.m. Rome time, smoke began rising from the Sistine Chapel, but no one was sure exactly what it meant.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Smoke has been coming out of that chimney now for the past several minutes. It's unclear whether that smoke is white, signaling there's a new pope, or black, signaling there's still no new pope.
HEMMER: Then a delay in the Vatican bells that were supposed to confirm a new pope had been elected. The ringing of bells was a symbol added by the late John Paul II after similar confusion accompanied his introduction as pope in 1978.
BLITZER: We have been told repeatedly in recent days if the smoke was white it would be augmented with the sounds of bells. We heard some bells, but not the bells that are designated as the appropriate bells that would indicate the election of a new pope. As a result, there is still uncertainty right now.
HEMMER: Ten minutes later, the smoke finally cleared and the real bells rang loud and clear, ringing in a new era for the Roman Catholic Church, the reign of Pope Benedict XVI.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: There was some drama yesterday, drama all week, in fact. The new pope elected in only about 24 hours, though, and it took only four or five ballots inside the Sistine Chapel -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Much more on the pope to come. Time now for a check on the weather, though.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment, Rick James running for city council, "Superfreak." The problem is it isn't this Rick James. And that is causing another would-be politician a whole lot of headache.
COSTELLO: It's a bizarre story.
HEMMER: Stay tuned for that.
COSTELLO: But first some trivia: Rick James had an uncle who was a member of which famous music. Is it A, The Four Tops, B, The Coasters, or C, The Temptations? We'll have the answer for you after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We will not keep you in suspense, before the break, we asked you this question: Rick James had an uncle who was a member of which famous musical group? And the answer is -- that was fast, wasn't it? It was C, The Temptations. Actually if you want more information, his uncle, Melvin Franklin, was the group's bass singer. So now you know.
But we ask you this question this morning, what is in a name? Well, for a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, city council candidate, sharing the moniker of the late Superfreak icon Rick James has led to many jokes around town.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE CHAPPELLE, COMEDIAN: I'm Rick James, (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Enjoy yourself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That's actually Dave Chappelle, the comedian, you know? The other Rick James says "The Chappelle Show" skit on the show on Comedy Central is costing him hundreds of dollars in campaign signs. He joins us now from Jackson, Mississippi.
Good morning, Rick James.
RICK JAMES, POLITICAL CANDIDATE: Good morning to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting you to look just like the Rick James, but...
(LAUGHTER)
JAMES: Nothing like him, actually, nothing like him.
COSTELLO: Nothing like him at all. When did you first notice that your campaign signs were disappearing, because you're running for city council, so when did your signs begin disappearing?
JAMES: Well, pretty much right off the bat. My wife and I were campaigning. We were going door to door registering people to vote. And we noticed a few of the signs that we put in yards were disappearing. So when we went back to talk to folks, they said, well, you know why your signs are disappearing? We said, no, why? And they said, well, it's that "Dave Chappelle Show" on Comedy Central. We said, what? We found out about it. We got Comedy Central. And every time something airs, whether it's national radio or national TV, more signs disappear now.
COSTELLO: Well, I don't get the connection because Dave Chappelle isn't asking people to steal signs, right? So why are people taking them?
JAMES: Well, I'm not quite sure, but his particular bit on Comedy Central just started a lot of activity among the college crowd. So they started stealing the signs, I guess because they wanted something with Rick James' name on it. My wife ended up writing or e- mailing Comedy Central and trying to get to "The Chappelle Show" and ask them to reimburse me for signs because we heard that they were stealing signs as a result of that...
COSTELLO: Well. I bet they gave you...
JAMES: ... and then from there it just took off.
COSTELLO: ... a big response, didn't they?
JAMES: Actually, no, they e-mailed The New York Post, and the next thing we knew, we were in the news because The New York Post had us in the gossip column. And after that it just took off, it went everywhere.
COSTELLO: I'm sure it did. So where did your signs end up?
JAMES: Well, you know, it's funny, because I was talking to one young guy last night who admitted to me that he has a roommate who actually stole 12 of my signs. And that's just one person. I mean, I have over $700 worth of signs that have been stolen. And I really only have anywhere from 15 to 30 signs out there right now, because all my signs have been stolen.
COSTELLO: But do they end up outside of Mississippi?
JAMES: Actually, they do. I was sitting in a Waffle House one night and my wife and I were there and a guy tapped me on the shoulder and said, are you Rick James? And I said, yes, because I had a T- shirt on. And he said, I saw one of your signs in Jackson, Mississippi, because we live in Hattiesburg, which is about 100 miles away, and he said that there were some signs in Jackson in yards.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Don't you think this is...
JAMES: Which I...
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: I'm just laughing because -- I'm sorry, it's funny. But don't you think that this might be helping your campaign?
JAMES: Well, I hope so. I always joke that all these national radio shows, from the Canadian Broadcasting Company to Chicago, all these national shows I'm doing, the national publications, this will be for my upcoming presidential bid, because it will help me there.
(LAUGHTER) JAMES: But for the local race, I don't know how much it's helping for the local race because I can't keep my signs on the streets of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In fact...
COSTELLO: Yes, but you have great name recognition already, although I don't know if you want to associate yourself with the real -- I don't want to say real Rick James, because that's not right, but the other Rick James?
JAMES: Well, actually, that's what I have always used, "the real Rick James," because the Rick James on TV, that was not his real name. A lot of people don't know that. But this is my real name. And what I have to do -- it has -- I've been reduced to this. Every night at 9:00, I have to take my signs into my living room and I put them back out. I have 10 signs that I put out every morning at 7:00. And every night at 9:00, I have to take them back off the streets, otherwise, those 10 signs will be gone the next morning.
COSTELLO: OK. The final question, were you a big fan of "Superfreak"?
JAMES: Oh, I love it. We own the song. We campaign with it. We put it in the CD machine.
(LAUGHTER)
JAMES: Even though I'm a serious candidate running for a serious position, you have to laugh at it, you really do.
COSTELLO: Well, we're glad you have a great sense of humor. Rick James, the Rick James of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, thank you for joining AMERICAN MORNING.
JAMES: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: Back to you, Bill.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here. In a moment, "American Idol" coming down with disco fever of late, it may put one contestant down for the count. 90-second poppers tackle that. Who's in trouble now? That's a bit later here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back. Here is Jack on the pope.
CAFFERTY: The new pope is a staunch defender of church orthodoxy and there's a question about how he is going to serve unite the Catholic Church, given the number of moderate Catholics, if you will, "cafeteria Catholics," particularly in the United States who would like to see movement on issues like women in the priesthood, homosexuality, birth control, things like that. So how can he best go about uniting the church is the question?
Martha in Florida writes: "It was the worst choice the church could have made and it sends a message to those who would hope to see the church progress. I think that was the purpose of choosing Ratzinger."
Doug in Ontario writes: "The Catholic Church has been around 2,000 years to do nothing but stay the course. You're either Catholic or you're not, if its doctrines don't appeal to you there are other a myriad of other religious options you may find palatable."
Don in Pennsylvania: "It has been over 43 years since the Second Vatican Council was called. I feel that Pope Benedict XVI may be calling a Third Vatican Council. Through this vehicle he may be able to draw together the world's Catholics and identify the many issues that continue to affect the stability of the church."
And Bill in Colorado Springs weighs in with this: "Jack, at last count, the Catholic Church has 1.1 billion members, approximately one- fifth of the population of the planet Earth. Just how much more united do you think we need to be?"
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: He has a point.
COSTELLO: A good point. Thank you, Jack. There is still much more to come on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Ahead on "90 Second Pop": Hollywood immortalizes "American Idol"'s Ryan Seacrest, but does he deserve an honor that puts him alongside Orson Wells and Marlon Brando? Plus, after "American Idol"'s "Disco Inferno," which contestant should be ready to boogie on home tonight? That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 20, 2005 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Benedict XVI celebrating Mass this morning, his first as pope, and now telling the faithful where he will lead the Catholic Church.
Meanwhile, thousands more Americans at risk of ID theft, a major online company losing some secret information and it could be yours.
And the president, a bit of a setback in Congress, is a key nomination now in trouble? On this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
HEMMER: Good morning, everybody, 9:00 here in New York. I'm Bill Hemmer, good to have you along with us today.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello, in for Soledad this morning.
HEMMER: A lot to take in today with the election of a new pope. Carol, how will Pope Benedict XVI change the direction of the church, if at all? What will it mean for America? And why did the College of Cardinals choose this man and not another? Questions that we will try and get some answer for in a moment.
COSTELLO: We certainly will. Also, how are leader of other religions reacting to Benedict XVI, who is a staunch conservative on matters of faith? We'll talk about that with a Jewish rabbi and Muslim imam.
HEMMER: It doesn't necessarily roll off the tongue just yet, does it? Benedict XVI? John Paul II.
COSTELLO: That rolls off the tongue easily because you're so used to saying it.
HEMMER: Pope Jack Cafferty.
COSTELLO: That's sacrilege.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's a sacrilege exactly, that's awful.
HEMMER: Good morning.
CAFFERTY: You're in big trouble. You'd better go to confession at 10:30. What will a new pope have to do to unite the Catholic Church? A lot of American Catholics were hoping for a more moderate pontiff, one with perhaps more liberal views on thing like the ordination of women, birth control, things like that. They're not going to get it in this man. He is nicked-named "God's rottweiler," a staunch traditionalist, a defender of the orthodoxy. So what's he going to have to do to bring everybody together? Am@cnn.com is the e- mail address.
HEMMER: And that is a big job.
CAFFERTY: Yes, it is.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
COSTELLO: Let's check on the headlines now with Valerie Morris. Good morning, Valerie.
VALERIE MORRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to both of you and Jack, not to forget you at all.
"Now in the News," there's tighter security across parts of Baghdad this morning. Three suicide car bombings going off in the area in the past 24 hours, the attacks apparently targeting American and Iraqi forces. At least two U.S. soldiers are among those killed.
The nomination of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is on hold. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee delaying a scheduled vote Tuesday, but is scheduled to meet again next month. And Bolton may be asked to come back for additional questioning.
There's word U.S. Airways may merge with American West. U.S. Airways, the country's seventh-largest carrier, has already filed for bankruptcy twice. So a merger could be a good thing to keep that airline flying.
And it was a close call for two workers outside the National Security Agency's headquarters. The scaffolding the men were standing on apparently shifted, leaving them dangling in their safety harnesses. Rescuers lowered the men down one at a time. And luckily, I can tell you that no one was injured. And that's the very latest.
HEMMER: Best news, too. Valerie, thanks for that.
The new pope, Benedict XVI, outlined his path earlier today in his first Mass as pontiff about 4:00 a.m. Eastern time, promising to follow the policies of his predecessor, John Paul II, specifically, reunification of all Christians and continuing a dialogue with other religions. And after the Mass, U.S. cardinals held a news conference and they offered a softer image of the man often called a hard-liner and an enforcer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARDINAL FRANCIS EUGENE GEORGE, ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO: Who is Joseph Ratzinger? I'd say two things that were told me in the last couple of months. One was by a friend from France, a layman whom I spoke to yesterday who said, you have chosen a humble genius. And the second one is a phrase that comes back to me from an encounter I had at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, with a woman who is part of the cleaning staff there. And speaking of Cardinal Ratzinger, she said, (SPEAKING IN ITALIAN), this is a true Christian.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So which is it, then, on Benedict XVI, the hard-liner who made enemies, or the loved and respected man of the people? And which will come through in his papacy? Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete knows the new pope, he's a professor of theology at St. Joseph seminary here in New York.
Welcome back.
MSGR. LORENZO ALBACETE, PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY: Thank you, good morning.
HEMMER: Nice to see you in person. You're surprised about this.
ALBACETE: I was surprised, because, to put it mildly, it is obvious the man has an image problem. He's kind of like the ecclesiastical John Bolton. And I didn't think that the cardinals would risk, after the outpour, which so impressed you -- I was watching, about -- after the death of John Paul II. I didn't think that -- I think the fact that they knew that Cardinal Ratzinger had this problem -- which I think is not justified, but would prevent them, that they would look for someone else.
Now that they have done that, I try to think about they must have seen something that they felt was very important to take the risk of having this problem because everybody's aware of it.
HEMMER: You know him as a person, right? How would you describe him to us?
ALBACETE: He is -- I would say, of all that group there, he was the humblest man of them all.
HEMMER: Really?
ALBACETE: I was expecting -- I read him for many years before meeting him. And when I finally did, I was expecting a German professor of theology, need I go any further? As someone from the Caribbean, I had this stereotype. And yet, I was astounded at the simplicity, the almost childlike attitude. And you say, like, what's going on?
At that time, he wasn't in charge of doctrine. That's another thing, the man's job doesn't help because he's been in charge of an office that is not exactly there to generate bold and new exciting experiments.
HEMMER: You mentioned the word "risk" two answers ago. Was it risky to go with this pope or would it have been more risky to go in a different direction coming off of 26 years of Pope John Paul II? ALBACETE: No. Frankly, I think that is the case. Perhaps I have to low an opinion of the electors, because I think definitely that would have been more risky. In the end, it's really -- the problem is that the church should run by faith, and in the end, it is a question of fidelity to Christ. And the risks? Sorry (ph).
HEMMER: Yes. We've heard negatives already coming out of Europe and we've heard some negatives in this country as well. But is it not the case where this guy's going to have to come to the U.S. and at that point, people will judge him based on how they react to him, much like they did in '78, in '79 with the previous pope.
ALBACETE: Yes. This is so. Yes, this is so. And I am convinced that when people see that they will -- another, they will all run to confession the next day. But they will at least be willing to give him a chance. Because this, I don't know anybody in the church today that has a more clear vision of the dangers facing humankind.
HEMMER: Thank you, Monsignor.
ALBACETE: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Lorenzo Albacete, nice to see you. All right, now Carol.
COSTELLO: As you mentioned, Bill, there's mixed reaction to the new pope here in the United States. Many Americans say they have confidence in this pope, but at the same time, they say they don't know enough about him to form an opinion. At St. Patrick's Cathedral here in New York this morning, a sparse crowd came out for a celebratory Mass. With more reaction, our national correspondent Kelly Wallace live outside of St. Patrick's.
Good morning, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Well, at that Mass you were talking about, the bishop who presided asked Catholics to pray for Pope Benedict XVI. Big challenges definitely ahead for the new pope. And that is just one of many comments we're picking up from Catholics across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): Not long after signs the cardinals had made their decision, word about the new pope spread, from Sacramento to Southern California to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, where we found tourists from Germany...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's very conservative but I think he will be a good pope. I hope so.
WALLACE: ... executives from Hungary...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I'm very glad that a fellow European got to be elected, very excited about it. WALLACE: ... and seniors from a Catholic high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be better if we had a more liberal kind of pope, but we didn't pick him so...
(LAUGHTER)
WALLACE (on camera): Are you hopeful about this new pope?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely. Maybe he'll try to be just like John Paul II.
WALLACE (voice-over): Throughout the country, two views, that Pope Benedict XVI's conservative views on issues such as the ordination of women, celibacy for priests, and birth control, make him the wrong man to lead the church into the future.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess I'm from the camp that would like maybe more of a moderate -- more moderate leadership.
WALLACE: And those who feel his strict views make him the perfect choice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think one thing we need is someone to continue that firm stand on church issues, because I think that's the problem with our church right now, is it's become a little bit too wishy-washy.
WALLACE: Back at St. Patrick's Cathedral, we found mixed feelings within one family. Jim Howland (ph) of Massachusetts was hoping for...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A change, radical change.
WALLACE (on camera): You think the church needs that right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
WALLACE (voice-over): His mother-in-law?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we have to support the decision and give him our support.
WALLACE: And the top issue they'd like to see the new pope deal with?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I hope that he would continue to heal the church based on the -- you know, the scandal, the sex abuse scandal. I think that that is a very big issue and one that needs to continue to be worked on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And something else we picked up, as we talked to people yesterday, they just don't know that much about Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany. Carol, they say they're looking to get more information so they can form an opinion about him.
COSTELLO: Well, hopefully he will travel to the United States very soon. Kelly Wallace, live in New York this morning, thank you.
HEMMER: Meanwhile, for the faithful at the Vatican and for millions watching around the world, the momentous event of yesterday had its share of drama and a bit of confusion, too.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): The process of choosing a new pope was supposed to be black and white. But letting the world know when that moment arrived was many shades of gray on Tuesday. Just before 6:00 p.m. Rome time, smoke began rising from the Sistine Chapel, but no one was sure exactly what it meant.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Smoke has been coming out of that chimney now for the past several minutes. It's unclear whether that smoke is white, signaling there's a new pope, or black, signaling there's still no new pope.
HEMMER: Then a delay in the Vatican bells that were supposed to confirm a new pope had been elected. The ringing of bells was a symbol added by the late John Paul II after similar confusion accompanied his introduction as pope in 1978.
BLITZER: We have been told repeatedly in recent days if the smoke was white it would be augmented with the sounds of bells. We heard some bells, but not the bells that are designated as the appropriate bells that would indicate the election of a new pope. As a result, there is still uncertainty right now.
HEMMER: Ten minutes later, the smoke finally cleared and the real bells rang loud and clear, ringing in a new era for the Roman Catholic Church, the reign of Pope Benedict XVI.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: There was some drama yesterday, drama all week, in fact. The new pope elected in only about 24 hours, though, and it took only four or five ballots inside the Sistine Chapel -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Much more on the pope to come. Time now for a check on the weather, though.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment, Rick James running for city council, "Superfreak." The problem is it isn't this Rick James. And that is causing another would-be politician a whole lot of headache.
COSTELLO: It's a bizarre story.
HEMMER: Stay tuned for that.
COSTELLO: But first some trivia: Rick James had an uncle who was a member of which famous music. Is it A, The Four Tops, B, The Coasters, or C, The Temptations? We'll have the answer for you after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We will not keep you in suspense, before the break, we asked you this question: Rick James had an uncle who was a member of which famous musical group? And the answer is -- that was fast, wasn't it? It was C, The Temptations. Actually if you want more information, his uncle, Melvin Franklin, was the group's bass singer. So now you know.
But we ask you this question this morning, what is in a name? Well, for a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, city council candidate, sharing the moniker of the late Superfreak icon Rick James has led to many jokes around town.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE CHAPPELLE, COMEDIAN: I'm Rick James, (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Enjoy yourself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That's actually Dave Chappelle, the comedian, you know? The other Rick James says "The Chappelle Show" skit on the show on Comedy Central is costing him hundreds of dollars in campaign signs. He joins us now from Jackson, Mississippi.
Good morning, Rick James.
RICK JAMES, POLITICAL CANDIDATE: Good morning to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting you to look just like the Rick James, but...
(LAUGHTER)
JAMES: Nothing like him, actually, nothing like him.
COSTELLO: Nothing like him at all. When did you first notice that your campaign signs were disappearing, because you're running for city council, so when did your signs begin disappearing?
JAMES: Well, pretty much right off the bat. My wife and I were campaigning. We were going door to door registering people to vote. And we noticed a few of the signs that we put in yards were disappearing. So when we went back to talk to folks, they said, well, you know why your signs are disappearing? We said, no, why? And they said, well, it's that "Dave Chappelle Show" on Comedy Central. We said, what? We found out about it. We got Comedy Central. And every time something airs, whether it's national radio or national TV, more signs disappear now.
COSTELLO: Well, I don't get the connection because Dave Chappelle isn't asking people to steal signs, right? So why are people taking them?
JAMES: Well, I'm not quite sure, but his particular bit on Comedy Central just started a lot of activity among the college crowd. So they started stealing the signs, I guess because they wanted something with Rick James' name on it. My wife ended up writing or e- mailing Comedy Central and trying to get to "The Chappelle Show" and ask them to reimburse me for signs because we heard that they were stealing signs as a result of that...
COSTELLO: Well. I bet they gave you...
JAMES: ... and then from there it just took off.
COSTELLO: ... a big response, didn't they?
JAMES: Actually, no, they e-mailed The New York Post, and the next thing we knew, we were in the news because The New York Post had us in the gossip column. And after that it just took off, it went everywhere.
COSTELLO: I'm sure it did. So where did your signs end up?
JAMES: Well, you know, it's funny, because I was talking to one young guy last night who admitted to me that he has a roommate who actually stole 12 of my signs. And that's just one person. I mean, I have over $700 worth of signs that have been stolen. And I really only have anywhere from 15 to 30 signs out there right now, because all my signs have been stolen.
COSTELLO: But do they end up outside of Mississippi?
JAMES: Actually, they do. I was sitting in a Waffle House one night and my wife and I were there and a guy tapped me on the shoulder and said, are you Rick James? And I said, yes, because I had a T- shirt on. And he said, I saw one of your signs in Jackson, Mississippi, because we live in Hattiesburg, which is about 100 miles away, and he said that there were some signs in Jackson in yards.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Don't you think this is...
JAMES: Which I...
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: I'm just laughing because -- I'm sorry, it's funny. But don't you think that this might be helping your campaign?
JAMES: Well, I hope so. I always joke that all these national radio shows, from the Canadian Broadcasting Company to Chicago, all these national shows I'm doing, the national publications, this will be for my upcoming presidential bid, because it will help me there.
(LAUGHTER) JAMES: But for the local race, I don't know how much it's helping for the local race because I can't keep my signs on the streets of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In fact...
COSTELLO: Yes, but you have great name recognition already, although I don't know if you want to associate yourself with the real -- I don't want to say real Rick James, because that's not right, but the other Rick James?
JAMES: Well, actually, that's what I have always used, "the real Rick James," because the Rick James on TV, that was not his real name. A lot of people don't know that. But this is my real name. And what I have to do -- it has -- I've been reduced to this. Every night at 9:00, I have to take my signs into my living room and I put them back out. I have 10 signs that I put out every morning at 7:00. And every night at 9:00, I have to take them back off the streets, otherwise, those 10 signs will be gone the next morning.
COSTELLO: OK. The final question, were you a big fan of "Superfreak"?
JAMES: Oh, I love it. We own the song. We campaign with it. We put it in the CD machine.
(LAUGHTER)
JAMES: Even though I'm a serious candidate running for a serious position, you have to laugh at it, you really do.
COSTELLO: Well, we're glad you have a great sense of humor. Rick James, the Rick James of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, thank you for joining AMERICAN MORNING.
JAMES: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: Back to you, Bill.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here. In a moment, "American Idol" coming down with disco fever of late, it may put one contestant down for the count. 90-second poppers tackle that. Who's in trouble now? That's a bit later here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back. Here is Jack on the pope.
CAFFERTY: The new pope is a staunch defender of church orthodoxy and there's a question about how he is going to serve unite the Catholic Church, given the number of moderate Catholics, if you will, "cafeteria Catholics," particularly in the United States who would like to see movement on issues like women in the priesthood, homosexuality, birth control, things like that. So how can he best go about uniting the church is the question?
Martha in Florida writes: "It was the worst choice the church could have made and it sends a message to those who would hope to see the church progress. I think that was the purpose of choosing Ratzinger."
Doug in Ontario writes: "The Catholic Church has been around 2,000 years to do nothing but stay the course. You're either Catholic or you're not, if its doctrines don't appeal to you there are other a myriad of other religious options you may find palatable."
Don in Pennsylvania: "It has been over 43 years since the Second Vatican Council was called. I feel that Pope Benedict XVI may be calling a Third Vatican Council. Through this vehicle he may be able to draw together the world's Catholics and identify the many issues that continue to affect the stability of the church."
And Bill in Colorado Springs weighs in with this: "Jack, at last count, the Catholic Church has 1.1 billion members, approximately one- fifth of the population of the planet Earth. Just how much more united do you think we need to be?"
(LAUGHTER)
CAFFERTY: He has a point.
COSTELLO: A good point. Thank you, Jack. There is still much more to come on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Ahead on "90 Second Pop": Hollywood immortalizes "American Idol"'s Ryan Seacrest, but does he deserve an honor that puts him alongside Orson Wells and Marlon Brando? Plus, after "American Idol"'s "Disco Inferno," which contestant should be ready to boogie on home tonight? That's later on AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
