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Pope Leo Canonizing Carlo Acutis; Japan's PM Reportedly Decided to Resign; Trump Said to be Heading to South Korea; Carlo Acutis Becomes First Millennial Saint. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired September 07, 2025 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Kim Brunhuber with breaking news from the Vatican. Pope Leo is about to elevate two new saints of the Catholic Church, including the first millennial saint. He's Carlo Acutis, an Italian young man who died of leukemia at age 15. Many have visited his tomb in Assisi, Italy, and thousands are in Rome to watch Pope Leo conduct the canonization ceremony that elevates him to sainthood. We're looking at live pictures of this right now.

Born in 1991, Acutis created a website to document miracles and spread his faith. It earned him the nickname God's Influencer. His stories attracted wide attention from Catholic youth, and many are there to witness the ceremony right now. Pope Leo is also canonizing Pier Giorgio Frassati who died in 1925 at age 24. He was also Italian and was known for helping others, and he succumbed to polio 100 years ago.

All right. Joining me live now is Katie McGrady, CNN Vatican analyst and host of "The Katie McGrady Show" on SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel, operated by the Archdiocese of New York. Thanks so much for joining me here. Really appreciate it.

So, I understand mass has just started. Canonization is expected to take place about half an hour from now. Talk to me about the young man who's being canonized, Carlo Acutis being called the first millennial saint. What do you think this means for young Catholics watching today? And do you think that that could actually get more young people interested in the church again?

KATIE PREJEAN MCGRADY, CNN VATICAN ANALYST AND HOST, "THE KATEI MCGRADY SHOW": I think so. I mean, just a few minutes ago, before we started broadcasting the mass, Pope Leo actually popped out and surprised everybody, said good morning, and specifically said good morning to the young people who have shown up today for the canonization, because we know so many young adults and youth and families, my good family, friends are there right now in the very back of St. Peter's Square, bringing their little ones from age six months to eight. There are so many people who are captivated by the witness of an ordinary teenage boy and Pier Giorgio Frassati, who was an ordinary Italian young adult.

And what I think we see in them is this, oh, they're like me, but yet, they pursued holiness. And so, I absolutely think the trend is there. And the canonization of these two young men today is an acknowledgement of, we need to put the stories of ordinary pursuers of holiness in front of the everyday folks who are watching this and have a devotion to it. And Pope Leo has talked a lot about his excitement for these two when he popped out and surprised everybody, it was quite evident that he was excited for the morning. And so, I think it's just excitement all around, including all the way over here in Las Vegas.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's really cool that you actually have a family watching this right now. It must be an emotional moment for them. You talked about the importance of story. I mean, you work with young people through social media and modern platforms all the time. When you look at Carlo's story, this teenager who used the internet to spread his faith, what do you think young Catholics can learn from that approach?

MCGRADY: One of the things Carlo was kind of known for was using technology to tell a greater story than just, OK, here's the salad I had for lunch. He actually learned to code so he could create a website about Eucharistic miracles. And so, the example it gives is, what's the thing you're interested in? What's the thing that gets you excited? What's the thing that you want to tell other people about? And if it's your relationship with Jesus Christ, if it's this Catholic faith that you profess, well, you can just be a normal guy, a normal gal who does that, who shares that.

And I think it shows us that when you pursue an interest with a heavenly thought in your head, when you are encouraged by your family to pay attention to that religious sensibility, not only could you maybe one day be a canonized saint, but you're going to be happy. This is the thing about Carlo Acutis that I love to tell people. He was a happy kid. He was a joyful kid. He was fun. He was silly. He loved animals. His mom and dad talk all the time about how he loved to go hiking as well. He was an outdoorsman, just like Pier Giorgio Frassati. And so, he was a fulfilled young man. And that gives a great example of this is life with Christ, a wonderful adventure. And that's why the square is full right now.

[04:05:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes. A couple of recurring words when you're speaking to me, normal, ordinary. I mean, Carlo's story is so different from what we might expect from a saint. I mean, he wasn't a martyr in the traditional sense. He was just a teenager battling leukemia who chose to offer up his suffering for others. And he was happy, as you said there. So, how do you think that story resonates with young people who are facing their own struggles today?

MCGRADY: I'm glad you brought that up because the story of Carlo's death is actually, I think, a huge part of how his life is so inspiring. Carlo got sick with what they thought was a flu. And then when he wasn't responding to medication, they brought him to the doctor and discovered this leukemia. And he immediately recognized he wasn't leaving the hospital.

And there's actually this one particular story when the nurse came in one night to check on him and to let him know that the priest was coming to pray with him not long from then. Carlo's mom and dad were asleep. And Carlo said to the nurse, please don't wake them up because they're going to be tired. They're going to have to plan my funeral. I don't want them to be sniping at one another. They're going to be exhausted.

And so, Carlo was always thinking of others, even in his suffering. He offered up his suffering for Pope Benedict XVI, who had just become pope. And Carlo knew there was a great weight upon his shoulders. So, he took that suffering, he took that hardship, which is the greatest of hardships. He died. And he said, not me, but the lord. That's one of Carlo's most famous quotes, less of me, more of you.

And he would often talk about how every single one of us is born an original, but most of us die a photocopy. And yet, here was this young man who wasn't afraid to go to heaven, who wasn't afraid to be united with Christ. And so, I think it shows young people and old people and everybody in between, that when we are confronted with that hardship and that challenge, we can meet it with a smile, we can meet it with knowing that the Lord's grace is with us, or we can just whine. And Carlo didn't whine. He didn't pout. He wasn't sad. He recognized, well, this is the next great adventure. And that challenges young people.

I tell the story of Carlo everywhere I travel when I give talks. And every single time, from little kids all the way to the adults in the room, they lean in. They want to hear a little bit more. They want to know his story. We did a movie about Carlo that has done really well because people are so captivated by it. And it's that life and that death and that embrace of suffering that ties it all together.

BRUNHUBER: The focus, quite rightly, is on the canonization as we look at the live pictures happening right now. But there is something else noteworthy and unusual happening in Rome. This weekend, we also saw the first officially recognized LGBTQ Catholic pilgrimage in Vatican history. How do you think that events like this, alongside the canonization, might help young people who might feel sort of caught between their faith and their identity?

MCGRADY: You know, the Jubilee year is an occasion of hope. And so, so many different groups have gathered in Rome to walk through the Holy Doors, which, for Catholics, to walk through those Holy Doors is to acknowledge God's grace, is to acknowledge the blessing that we receive in taking a moment to go to a place of pilgrimage.

And so, for men and women in the church who, at times, have felt maybe marginalized or ignored, who have felt as if maybe there's not a place for them to go and to take up space, to go and to say we're here and we want to share who we are and we want to be received, I think it says a lot that they were able to go.

Now, I do want to note the LGBTQ gathering of pilgrims was not on the official Jubilee calendar, in the same way that, say, there was a Jubilee of digital missionaries, there was a Jubilee of deacons, there was a Jubilee of bands not long ago. So, this was kind of an independent group that went and that made a procession through the Holy Door, just like anybody can.

But Pope Leo did meet with Father James Martin, who spoke about how he had conversations with the Holy Father about LGBTQ advocacy. So, I think it shows that the Holy Father is a man who listens. And the Holy Father and the Vatican are completely and totally aware of sometimes the tension that exists. And I think what it shows the wider church is that the church is not actually this secretive, exclusive organization. Look at St. Peter's Square. The colonnade is arms wide open. All are welcome and can come to this place. And in a Jubilee year, especially, those Holy Doors are open for people to walk through.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. It's a very poignant moment for so many people across the faith. Katie McGrady, we'll talk to you next hour. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

I want to go now live on location. CNN's Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb, who is there watching this as this is unfolding. So, Christopher, just give us a sense of the moment right now. What is taking place as well tell us what the atmosphere, the emotion is as people are watching this ceremony?

[04:10:00]

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, it's really an atmosphere of great joy and anticipation here. We've just seen Cardinal Semeraro, the prefect of the Vatican office for the (INAUDIBLE) Saint to make the formal petition to Pope Leo to canonize Carlo Acutis and Pio Giorgio Frassati, who are going to be formally declared as saints by Pope Leo. The way this works is that there is this petition that takes place, and the cardinal is now reading out some biographical details of the two youthful saints.

I've just been amongst the crowd here. There's people from all over the world. I caught up with some pilgrims from Pennsylvania where there's a shrine to Carlo Acutis and spoke to them about why they're here. They say that Carlo Acutis is someone who really helps them deal with how to navigate technology.

Carlo Acutis was sort of a computer whiz kid who set up a website to document miracles, but he was also a young kid who loved to play on his PlayStation and make videos. So, he was someone who can offer a guide to young people, they say, when it comes to navigating sometimes the pitfalls of social media. But yes, so today, really, it's a historic moment for the Catholic Church as the Pope is about to declare the first millennial saint in Carlo Acutis.

It's really a huge number of people here, it turns out, not just the square close to the altar that's packed up, it's right back to where we are here. There's probably hundreds of thousands who have come to witness this moment. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And among the people who are there to witness it, of course, you know, they are supporting this moment. But there is a bit of controversy because he was canonized so quickly. Take us through that. LAMB: So, the process of canonization of the Catholic Church is often a long and arduous one. It requires documentation of an individual's life in great detail. It requires usually evidence of miracles that each saint has performed a miracle or a miracle is attributed to their intercession, in the case of Carlo Acutis, two miracles, one of a Brazilian boy who was reportedly cured of a birth defect that prevented him from eating properly, and a young woman from Costa Rica who was 21 years of age, who had a bicycle accident. Her mother reportedly went to pray at the shrine and then she was healed. So, you have that element to it as well.

So, there are people who have some skepticism about this whole notion of miracles and saints. And the speed in which Carlo Acutis has been canonized is quite remarkable. Usually, it takes quite a long time for someone to be enrolled in the list of saints. So, there is the speed in which this has happened, which some people question.

But I think you can see from today that there is this huge following of Carlo Acutis. It's kind of developed organically. I mean, why would an Italian teenager who died of leukemia at the age of 15 suddenly get this following all over the world? And this is certainly remarkable as a whole. And I think it's the following that Carlo Acutis has, the devotion that there is to his witness that has led him to be canonized so quickly.

BRUNHUBER: We know, at least in this country, here in the U.S., you know, fewer people these days are going to church and there's less engagement officially with the church. How important a moment do you think this is for Catholicism, especially in countries like this, in the U.S., having an American pope? How important is this ceremony to sort of engage young people and perhaps bring them back to the faith?

LAMB: Well, I think it is important because, as you say, the long- term trend suggests disaffiliation by young people from organized religion, although there is some evidence to say that there's an interest among Gen Z in Catholicism. And so, I think this kind of moments show that the church is not something, you know, just of the past, but that it has figures who it holds up who are figures who showed how to live a good life, a holy life today, in the here and now.

[04:15:00]

And I think it is about inspiring more people to take the church seriously, take faith seriously. And it was interesting, Pope Leo came out just before the mass started and he gave some words of welcome and he said to all those gathered, all of you here can become saints. So, for Pope Leo, this moment is also a kind of rallying cry for young people to pursue that path of faith and holiness.

So, these figures, Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, both of them young people, both of them lived within the complexities and difficulties of their time. But I think the church is saying, the pope is saying, look, they were able to do it, so can you.

BRUNHUBER: That's a great message. CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb, thank you so much. And we'll have more from the canonization ceremony later in the hour.

Well, President Trump could soon be heading to Asia. We'll look at how a trip to South Korea focused on economics could lead to a meeting with China's leader. That will be coming up here on CNN Newsroom. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. We're giving you a live look now at the Vatican as Pope Leo is raising two Italian men to sainthood. The first is the millennial saint nicknamed God's Influencer. Carlo Acutis was a young Italian who died of leukemia at just 15 years old. He lived a life that touched many, not least through his empathy and work to help others and his early use of the internet to spread the word of his faith. The second is Pier Giorgio Frassati. He died of polio a century ago at age 24. It was a short life, but one dedicated to helping others.

We have breaking news out of Japan, where Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has reportedly decided to resign. Ishiba is set to hold a news conference in the next hour. Public broadcaster NHK says the decision to step down comes as Ishiba works to avoid a split within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The LDP has lost its majority in elections for both houses of parliament since Ishiba took power. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Monday on whether to hold an extraordinary leadership election.

I want to bring in CNN's Hanako Montgomery, who joins us now from Tokyo. So, a beleaguered prime minister, Hanako. This resignation, was it expected given the recent setbacks?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kim. Yes, as you said just there, it's actually not at all that surprising that the Japanese prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, has decided to step down. In recent weeks, he's been facing mounting criticism and pressure from within his own party to resign.

In fact, on Monday, as you described, members of the Liberal Democratic Party, the LDP, were going to cast a vote to see just how many of them wanted to hold an early presidential election, essentially meaning they wanted to assess how much support there was in replacing Ishiba.

Now, the reason for this mounting pressure, Kim, is because Ishiba suffered a bruising defeat at the upper house elections back in July. The Liberal Democratic Party has held the majority in both the upper house and lower house for many, many years, making it a lot more easy for them to pass resolutions and bills. But since Ishiba took office in October, the LDP has lost their majority in both the upper house and lower house, thereby, of course, again, meaning that it was a lot more difficult for them to pass any bills.

Now, it's also important to note here that Ishiba wasn't performing very well in public opinion polls either. Many Japanese people are frustrated with the state of the Japanese economy, with higher household spending, with higher inflation, and also with a weaker yen.

Now, in terms of what's next for the LDP, Kim, we, of course, expect to see an election, but we don't yet know whether this will be a simple election held just among LDP lawmakers, in which case we could see a new prime minister by mid-September, or perhaps we could see an election among party-registered voters, in which case we could see a new prime minister in October.

But either way, Kim, really just spelling out here that the LDP is suffering a lot of really just defeat among the public, and a lot of uncertainty is certainly in its way for the LDP. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have more from that news conference as it happens. CNN's Hanako Montgomery live from Tokyo, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Donald Trump is said to be planning to head to South Korea next month for an economic trade summit. The trip could possibly cover several bases, offering an opportunity to bring in more economic investment and giving the U.S. president a chance to meet with several world leaders. Our Alayna Treene has more from the White House.

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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: This visit is being viewed as a very good opportunity for President Donald Trump to sit down with Chinese President Xi Jinping. I'm told that there have been serious discussions about a potential bilateral meeting between the two on the sidelines of the APEC summit, though no plans have been finalized.

Now, I think it's important to point out that the official said that the administration is viewing the expected trip, which is still being finalized, and there are questions of whether the president could add more stops on his visit. They're viewing this as an opportunity for the president to clinch more economic investments in the United States, something that has been a key focus for him on other trips abroad, including his travel to the Middle East.

I spoke with one official who said a lot of this is going to be about economic collaboration with other countries, but they also said other goals include a focus on discussions around trade, defense, and civil nuclear cooperation. Now, another interesting part to all of this is that it could also be an opportunity for President Donald Trump to sit down with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. Now, it is a question of whether or not Kim is even attending this summit, but I would note that when the South Korean president visited the White House last week, he talked a lot about wanting President Donald Trump to sit down with Kim. He invited Kim --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:25:00]

BRUNHUBER: We want to break into that programming to bring you an important moment now from the Vatican. I'm joined by CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb. An important moment. Take us through what's happening right now.

LAMB: Well, Pope Leo, Kim, is now declaring Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati as saints. He has just pronounced -- was about to end the pronouncing of the formula that needs to be said by the Pope to declare these two new saints. And you can hear the applause now for the two saints after Pope Leo has enrolled and declared Carlo Acutis the first millennial saint. Huge applause for him at this historic moment taking place in St. Peter's Square. And there's a huge crowd here gathered to witness this moment.

Pope Leo speaking in Latin to make this formal declaration. Enrolling Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, another young Italian, into the role of saints, which means that from today onwards, schools and parishes can be dedicated to Carlo Acutis. You can have the Carlo Acutis parish, the Carlo Acutis school. It means that they can be seen as saints who Catholics can ask for those saints' intercession.

It is obviously a historic moment to see the first millennial Carlo Acutis, born in 1991, died in 2006 of leukemia. A young teenager who often is depicted wearing T-shirt, trainers, jeans, who liked playing on his PlayStation, who loved his pets, made funny videos of his pets, likes sports, music. Grew up in a normal way according to his mother. I spoke to and interviewed his mother Antonia who is there in St. Peter's to witness her son become a saint. Not often that happens.

And she said that Carlo had a normal life, that he had this devotion, this faith, strong faith. And throughout his life he used his computer skills, technological whiz kid who is a coder, a programmer, to create a website for the dissemination of information about miracles, Eucharistic miracles.

And so, his figure, this person, Acutis, is someone who can connect with younger generations. There's people from all over the world, a lot of young people including from the U.S. We met a group earlier from Pennsylvania where there's a shrine to Carlo Acutis. They are here to witness this moment too.

So, with that pronouncing of the Latin formula that Carlo Acutis is a saint, Pope Leo has now made that declaration. And when he did so, the applause erupted for the new saints. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: So neat to witness that moment as everyone was clapping this historic moment as Carlo Acutis becomes the first millennial saint. Christopher Lamb in Rome, thank you so much, really appreciate it.

We'll have more coverage and commentary from St. Peter's Square coming up ahead. Please do stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom. I want to give you a live look now at the Vatican, as Pope Leo is raising two Italian men to sainthood. Now, this is an especially significant moment for young Catholics as Carlo Acutis becomes the first millennial saint, which happened just moments ago.

I want to bring in Father Patrick Mary Briscoe of the Priory of St. Vincent Ferrer, who joins us now live from Rome. I mean, you are right there in person witnessing this. I mean, take us through your reaction to watching that moment, the canonization of the first millennial saint.

FR. PATRICK MARY BRISCOE, PRIORY OF SAINT VINCENT FERRER: This is an incredible moment. I'm just so happy to be able to share it with you. As a millennial myself, Carlo is just a few years younger than I am. This is one who represents really what it means to live a life well in the Catholic Church.

I think, Kim, so many people think that being a saint is boring, it's sleepy, it's not being engaged. And we see just the opposite in these two men we're celebrating today, and especially Carlo Acutis, who is so proximate to us. So, it's a day of great celebration and joys. We have many tens of thousands of young people here at the Vatican on this lovely Sunday morning.

BRUNHUBER: You're right to mention the two of them, because you're a witness to history here with Pope Leo's first canonizations, Carlo alongside Pier Giorgio Frassati. Why do you think the new pope chose to canonize these two young men together?

BRISCOE: These two men simultaneously are great witnesses to what we've seen in history. Now, Pope Leo XIV took his name after Pope Leo XIII. We had in the early 20th century the rise of the Industrial Revolution, and we're seeing today another revolution. We're seeing a technological revolution. For his part, a hundred years ago, Pier Giorgio Frassati was an advocate for Catholic social teaching, for justice for workers. A great -- he was greatly involved in politics from the perspective of the Church standing up for the cause of justice. We see the same thing, in fact, in a certain way with Carlo Acutis today, who is using technology for the service of faith and fellowship and for the best kinds of things from the eyes of the Church that could be shared.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, when we talk about Carlo, we do focus a lot on his use of technology, of course, for good reason, and I want to explore that a little bit more later, but what really stands out sort of first and foremost was his compassion, right?

BRISCOE: Absolutely. These two men, both of them -- again, it could be said of both of them, both Carlo and Pier Giorgio were great friends. They had great groups of friends. Again, often we think of saints as being lonely or unplugged or something like this, but Pier Giorgio and Carlo had a great network around them and both were great servants of the poor.

Pier Giorgio would go to visit the sick, to visit the poor as a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, but then Carlo himself would give money. He would save up his allowance to serve the poor that he met on the streets in Milan or in Assisi. So, we have this great testimony of compassion coming from both of their lives.

[04:35:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes. There are problematic aspects of technology, of course, but for parents who are watching this who might be thinking, you know, my teenager spends all their time, you know, on their phone or playing video games or so on, what would you tell them about Carlo finding God in the digital age and what kind of example that might set?

BRISCOE: Virtue is always in the mean, isn't it? I think it's a kind of extremism that goes fully one way or the other. And Carlo shows us this. He had a PlayStation, but Carlo had read an article in -- we think it was the New York Times, but he'd read an article that described how young people in America were becoming addicted to technology. So, he made the decision to only play his PlayStation one hour a week, if you can believe it or not.

But it's true. He made that decision on his own. And it's a witness to his recognition of what the impact of technology could be in his life. And I think it's a great example for the kind of moderation that each of us could introduce, especially now that we have smartphones. Carlo died before the ubiquity of smartphones even.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, but moderation, a great lesson for all of us. You've studied the church's process for making saints. So, what makes Carlo's story so compelling was that he was fast-tracked to sainthood less than 20 years after his death, right? What was responsible for the speed of this? And some might question that.

BRISCOE: Absolutely. Well, the great witness here is on our side. And many people might not know this, but the witness is not theology or beliefs from the church, but the witness is confirmed by scientific examinations of the miracles that occurred through the saints' intercession.

So, the Catholic view is when you make a prayer to a saint, something, the effect is brought about, is said to have been influenced by the saints' intercession, by the saints' prayer for the particular cause that's asked. In Carlo's case, there were two tremendous miracles, both of which happened very recently and both of which are very well attested to by scientific evidence.

And I think that's really the key, is that these miracles are subjected to serious, rigorous examination. And when the evidence is clear, the canonization process can then move very quickly. In Carlo's case, there was a young man healed of a serious pancreas deformity. This was the first miracle. And then, the second miracle, the young woman who is here today, actually after the canonization, was healed of a serious injury following a bicycle accident. So, there's very good evidence that both of these things has occurred and that there's medical testimony saying that there's no other scientific explanation for how these healings could have happened. BRUNHUBER: Yes, it's so neat, the idea that she would be there to witness his canonization. Carlo was passionate about the Eucharist, and I know you're involved in the church's Eucharistic revival here in the U.S. What do you think this, you know, young saint can teach Catholics about mass in 2025, in a time when fewer and fewer Americans actually go to church?

BRISCOE: I think many people had such an intense experience of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic that they begin to think about what was missing from their lives. And the reality that we Catholics experience at mass is the ability to enter the transcendent, to be drawn out of the here and now to something much greater than just ourselves.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was going every day to mass, so was Blessed Carlo Acutis, and they found something that answered the deepest longings of their hearts. And I think now what we're seeing from modern people, we know that because -- again, in part because of the pandemic, but all of the problems of our lives are not going to be fixed with scientific answers.

And what the Eucharist offers, what Catholic worship offers, is a way out of the limited reality, a way out of the limitations of life. And I think that's what's resonating with people. That's what Carlo believed, that we were made for something more, that we were made for greatness, that we were made for a life with God. And that's what he preached, and that's what people are looking for.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, a great message. Father Patrick Marie Briscoe in Rome, thank you so much. Really great to get your perspective there in person.

BRISCOE: My joy. Thank you for having me.

BRUNHUBER: All right. And we'll go now to CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb, who is also there watching this as it unfolds. So, Christopher, I mean, we were on the air when everybody was celebrating Carlo Acutis being elevated to sainthood. So, take us through what happens next.

[04:40:00]

LAMB: Well, now we are into the mass, which is like an ordinary mass that you would have on a Sunday, which is going to be presided at by Pope Leo, who will, in a few moments' time, give his homily and reflection, where it's expected to talk about the message of Carlo Acutis and how that applies to young people today, and also the other saint who has been canonized this morning, Pier Giorgio Frassati.

So, we're expecting that in a few moments' time. Pope Leo made the solemn declaration that Carlo Acutis was now a saint. He did so using the traditional Latin formula. And when he had finished, there was a spontaneous round of applause that rippled across St Peter's Square, where thousands have gathered. It's not just the square near the altar that's filled up. It's all around where we are standing. It's rows and rows deep. A sign of the following that Carlo Acutis has developed since his death in 2006. There's people from all over the world. He was an Italian teenager born in London, and his following developed after his death. He created this website to document miracles, and that has been picked up by people who wanted to know more about him.

And you know, he is a figure. His life seems to connect with young people. He's known for, you know, some pithy phrases. This is -- you know, all are born original, but many die as photocopies. He wants to -- or his message seeks to inspire young people, according to his supporters.

I spoke to his mother, who says that, you know, Carlo's message is one of hope for young people. It's there to inspire them to follow their own path and vocation in life, not to, you know, die as photocopies, as Carlo said, but to find their own original purpose and sense of vocation. That's also very important in the Carlo Acutis cause, and I think that's part of why so many young people have taken him up as a kind of patron saint of young people and the digital world.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it's so interesting. I'm interested in the message that the Pope might deliver later on, because the Pope has expressed concerns about technology and A.I. So, I'm interested in how he's going to meld that message with the message, I suppose, that he's going to deliver, that technology can be used for good as well as Carlo Acutis showed.

LAMB: That's absolutely right. I mean, Pope Leo has emphasized the need for good engagement with technology, with A.I. He met last month with a group of Catholic social media influencers who were here in Rome, but he's also acknowledged and talked about the pitfalls. And so, I think for Pope Leo, who is new into his role as Pope, the first American Pope, of course, he is obviously seeing, I think, in Acutis, Carlo Acutis, and Frassati in another way, young people, figures, who can inspire the youth of today, and that's what he emphasized when he came out this morning, Pope Leo addressing the crowd briefly before the mass got underway, saying that all of you here can become saints.

So, trying to make the message and the life of these two young saints applicable to the people here in St. Peter's and, of course, watching at home.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. So much -- so many people around the world, not just Catholics, can take from these inspiring stories. Christopher Lamb in Rome, thank you so much.

A high-rise building in Gaza City takes a direct hit, just as protesters in Israel say their country's military operations could put hostages' lives in danger. We'll have that story coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Some Israeli protesters say they're running out of time as they try to stop their country's offensive in Gaza City. They held a new round of rallies in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Saturday, calling for an end to the operation. Protesters say the Gaza City takeover could put the lives of the remaining hostages in danger. One hostage's mother says her son's fate could be decided at any moment as Israel's military carries out new strikes in Gaza City.

Well, you saw there, Israel struck a high-rise in Gaza City on Saturday. That's the second such strike in the past two days. CNN's Paula Hancocks has more.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been seeing heavy strikes in and around Gaza City this Saturday as the Israeli military tries to control the whole of Gaza City. They've said at this point they believe they control some 40 percent of it.

Now, we have been seeing as well the IDF targeting high-rise buildings in the city. There was one in particular on Saturday, the Al-Susi Tower, a 15-storey residential building that we know families were living in and we believe there would have been displaced families there as well.

Now, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order and then just over an hour later struck the building, bringing it to the ground. The IDF says that it was being used by Hamas. They say that there was intelligence gathering equipment within the building. This has been rejected by Hamas, saying that they weren't present.

Now, what we know of this tower is that before 2021 there was a Ministry of Foreign Affairs presence there. We know that journalists had to go to one of those offices to try and secure permits from Hamas to enter Gaza. It's not clear, though, if Hamas has had a presence there since then.

Now, what this does is it increases the fear of the people in Gaza City, not knowing where is the least dangerous place for them to go to. There have been leaflets dropped by the Israeli military on Saturday morning telling residents and those displaced in the city to move south, specifically to go to al-Mawasi, which the Israeli military calls a humanitarian zone. It is not in the strictest sense of that term, though. We know it is an area that is very overcrowded, that does not have humanitarian aid sufficient for the people there, and it is an area that has also been targeted by the Israeli military a number of times over recent months.

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It's worth pointing out that this is an operation, the operation to take over Gaza, that has widespread global condemnation. The United Nations, countries around the world, are calling on Israel not to carry out these strikes and this effort to try and occupy the city.

We also know that the top military general in the country, the head of the chief of staff, is also saying he doesn't believe that this should go ahead, according to two Israeli sources. He's concerned that the hostages would be at risk. He's concerned that soldiers will be at risk and also that the humanitarian situation could get worse.

Now, when it comes to the hostage situation, we also heard from the U.S. president, Donald Trump, and he really questioned whether or not the number of hostages still alive or believed to be alive that the Israeli military has put out is in fact accurate. There are 47 hostages that are still being held by Hamas and other groups that were taken on October 7th. The Israeli official figure is that some 20 are believed to be alive. Let's listen to the U.S. president.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: But you have many dead people that are coming out as part of the deal. It's 20 people, but I think of the 20, there could be some that have recently died, is what I'm hearing. I hope that's wrong. But you have over 30 bodies in this negotiation. Can you believe it? I mean, we negotiate for people that are living. Here we know that at least 30 people are dead and we're negotiating to get them out.

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HANCOCKS: President Trump also said that he believed there shouldn't be these incremental releases of hostages, not two here, two there. He believes that all hostages should be released at once, which goes against the proposal on the table at this point, which was drafted by his own Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, alongside Israel. We know that the Israeli prime minister has also changed his strategy, saying he wants a full release of all hostages and a comprehensive deal.

This shift in strategy, one of the main reasons, really, that the negotiations and the hostage ceasefire proposal deal --

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BRUNHUBER: Winning tickets for Saturday's nearly $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot were sold in Missouri and Texas. Lucky ticket holders can either split the full amount, paid out over 30 annual installments or an immediate lump sum cash payout estimated at $826 million. That's before taxes.

The jackpot is currently the second largest in U.S. lottery history behind the Powerball jackpot won in 2022 of just over $2 billion. Saturday's drawing also ended a game record streak of 41 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner.

All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.

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