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CNN Live Saturday

Pope John Paul II Visits Madrid

Aired May 03, 2003 - 12:41   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On the road again, Pope John Paul II is visiting Spain. It's the 82-year-old pontiff's fifth visit to Spain and his 99th trip overall outside Italy during his papacy. CNN's Jim Bittermann is traveling with the Pope and he's in Madrid -- Jim.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, I'm here at the Four Winds Military Airport, just outside Madrid, which is certainly living up to its name, this afternoon. We have at least three of the four winds blowing through here.

The pope's expected here any minute, now. A big cheer went up in the crowd just a few minutes ago, when it was announced that he is just left the Nuncia Tora (ph), which is sort of the Vatican's embassy here in Madrid, and I think the crowd is now beginning to sense that the pope-mobile is drawing close. A lot of these people have been waiting all day long. There are several hundred thousand young people who have come here, to have kind of a vesper service with the pope and he's been waited with a lot of expectation. It's hot this afternoon, the fire trucks have been spraying water on the kids to try to keep them cool, but a lot of them have turn out.

Now, the pope coming from a meeting with Jose Maria Aznar, the prime minister of Spain, that was a meeting we were watching with great intent here this afternoon, because the two men have very divergent views about the Iraq war. Aznar, of course, supporting the United States and just 48 hours ago, was receiving Colin Powell, the U.S. secretary of state, who was congratulating him for his stand on the war. The pope on the other hand was very much against the war. Some of these young people that are out here this afternoon said, in fact, they were drawn here by the pope's clear anti-war message. So, they'll be listening for some words from the pope, perhaps different than what they're hearing from their government -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jim Bittermann in Madrid. Thank you very much.

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 May 3, 2003 - 12:41   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On the road again, Pope John Paul II is visiting Spain. It's the 82-year-old pontiff's fifth visit to Spain and his 99th trip overall outside Italy during his papacy. CNN's Jim Bittermann is traveling with the Pope and he's in Madrid -- Jim.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, I'm here at the Four Winds Military Airport, just outside Madrid, which is certainly living up to its name, this afternoon. We have at least three of the four winds blowing through here.

The pope's expected here any minute, now. A big cheer went up in the crowd just a few minutes ago, when it was announced that he is just left the Nuncia Tora (ph), which is sort of the Vatican's embassy here in Madrid, and I think the crowd is now beginning to sense that the pope-mobile is drawing close. A lot of these people have been waiting all day long. There are several hundred thousand young people who have come here, to have kind of a vesper service with the pope and he's been waited with a lot of expectation. It's hot this afternoon, the fire trucks have been spraying water on the kids to try to keep them cool, but a lot of them have turn out.

Now, the pope coming from a meeting with Jose Maria Aznar, the prime minister of Spain, that was a meeting we were watching with great intent here this afternoon, because the two men have very divergent views about the Iraq war. Aznar, of course, supporting the United States and just 48 hours ago, was receiving Colin Powell, the U.S. secretary of state, who was congratulating him for his stand on the war. The pope on the other hand was very much against the war. Some of these young people that are out here this afternoon said, in fact, they were drawn here by the pope's clear anti-war message. So, they'll be listening for some words from the pope, perhaps different than what they're hearing from their government -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jim Bittermann in Madrid. Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com