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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Pope Francis Died Of Stroke And Subsequent Irreversible Heart Failure; The Dean of the College of Cardinals is Expected to Convene the First General Congregation to Prepare for Electing the Next Pope. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired April 22, 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]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: The public is expected to be able to visit him at St. Peter's Basilica and pay their respects. And that's expected to be as early as Wednesday.

But today, as mourners trickle into St Peter's Square, sun is shining a morning a moment of loss though, as cardinals will be discussing, of course, funeral plans. It's the logistics. This is what they will be discussing today, according to some of the priests I've been speaking to in here on se and we could soon learn the date of when Pope Francis will be laid to rest.

And as you can hear many bells tolling here across Rome, many masses underway, but also a moment of solemnity across the Capitol as so many pay tribute to many considered a great leader.

Now the dean of the College of Cardinals is also expected to convene the first General Congregation, which is the first meeting to prepare for the conclave. And that is the process for the election and the electing of the next pope.

Francis was, as you probably have heard, a first of many. He was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to take the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, who chose championed, as you know, the poor, a pope who appeared at the balcony and a simple white cassock. If you remember, whose first request back in 2013 became a calling card. Remember his first words, buena sera, when he took to the balcony and he asked people to pray for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I ask that you pray to the Lord so that he blesses me. Pray for me. Amen.

To pray for me. Pray for me.

Please do not forget to pray for me.

Remember to pray for me. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: About 1.4 billion people make up the Catholic diaspora. CNN's Ben Wedeman shows us how they're mourning, honoring as well as remembering Pope Francis all over the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bells tolled across the Vatican as thousands flocked to St. Peter's Square to pay homage to Pope Francis. Moments after the announcement of his passing.

CARDINAL KEVIN FARREL, CAMERLENGO (through translator): At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome Francis returned to the house of the Father.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Those bells soon echoing around the world. In Paris at Notre Dame Cathedral.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best Pope of the era.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): To the heart of London.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's a man of the people.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): To Bethlehem and the birthplace of Christianity itself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will pray for him and we love him so much.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): For the 88-year-old People's Pontiff, grief now touching those he touched, traveling the globe much as he did. A reflection of the paths he took as he sought to bring comfort in the Congo, where his 2023 visit was the first for the Papacy in nearly 40 years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): May God welcome his soul because the Pope really cared about us.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): To the Philippines, where in 2015 more than 6 million gathered in Manila to get a glimpse and a prayer.

JUDE AQUINO, ALTAR SERVER (through translator): For the youth like us. He's such a big role model.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): A role model that transcended borders, seeking to bridge politics and a humanitarian promise as he made more than 40 foreign trips to points all over the globe.

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Let us pray for the whole world because let us have a big brotherhood.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): He set the tone for his pontificate in his first speech and for the dozen years to follow known for humility, service and tolerance, a pope of firsts, the first modern day pope born outside of Europe and the first Jesuit to lead the Holy See.

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): God is peace. Let us ask him to help us to be peacemakers each day in our life, in our families, in our cities and nations, in the whole world.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): A peace he sought in the midst of war in Gaza, speaking almost nightly to the parish priest of the enclave's tiny Christian community before falling ill. That message uniting the world, at least for a moment as world leaders offer their condolences, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posting to X, he knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer and foster unity, unifying even those at war in a shared reverence.

[04:05:00]

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The pope has done a lot, not only for his flock, but for the world in general.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Even President Trump lowering flags to half-mast in honor of the Catholic leader, despite their differing views on immigration.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world. And it's an honor to do that.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Well, U.S. President Trump says he and his wife Melania will travel to Rome to attend the pope's funeral. He has also ordered U.S. flags you heard there from Ben Wedeman to be lowered to half-staff until Pope Francis is buried. The late pontiff met with Donald Trump and the first lady in 2017 during the first president's term in office. It was their only face to face meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. I'm going to visit the hospital. Thank you. Thank you for meeting us. I will. Thank you so much your highness.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.

POPE FRANCIS: I won't forget you.

TRUMP: Good luck. Anything I can do let me know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Very cordial there, as you can see in 2017. But Mr. Trump and the pope often clashed on the issues of immigration and the environment. But despite past differences, the U.S. President acknowledged the pope's death as a personal tragedy for Catholics right around the world. Well, among the many tributes to Pope Francis, the Eiffel Tower in

Paris going dark on Monday night to mark his passing. The city's mayor has also proposed naming a public place in Paris after Pope Francis in his honor.

Let's go to our Jim Bittermann who has covered five popes and joins me now from Paris with more reaction. Jim, five popes, that is quite the CV there. And you know, this pope was exceptional in so many ways. He really traveled to his flock rather than asking his flock to come to him. And we are seeing really an outpouring of grief and a celebration also of his life.

What do you think made him so unique, you think, Jim, compared to his predecessors?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that humility is one of the things that keeps word, that keeps getting used. It's kind of a cliche, but in fact, it really is something that he lived.

And one of the things that struck me was the way the church moves very slowly, but the church has gradually got much more transparent than it was back in the days when I first covered the papal transition to Paul Virginia back in 1978. The church has gotten more transparent. The popes have gotten simpler. And certainly Francis practiced that. He had the pictorial cross, which was made out of iron. It wasn't gold. He wasn't into staying in the apostolic apartments. He stayed in Casa Santa Marta, which is like a small motel within the Vatican walls. And he just, in a lot of ways, simplified things. He didn't wear the red slippers, for example.

He drove off from the Vatican to an optician in Rome because he needed new glasses. All of these things really made him very human. And then his engagement on international affairs, and I think Ben mentioned that in his report that how engaged he was with Gaza and Ukraine and other places in the world where people were suffering. He really did concern himself with the sufferings of people, and that is what people, I think, are applauding and mourning today. Isa.

SOARES: Yes, he really advocated for the voiceless. He really advocated for the powerless. And I think that resonated with so many people, even those outside the Catholic faith and the Christian faith, and that is what I've been hearing from those all the way in the Asia Pacific region, Jim.

And his message just on Easter Sunday, very much in tone, in line with what we saw back in 2013, calling for an end to conflicts. And so many conflicts around the world at a time in such a fragmented world, speak to that.

BITTERMANN: Well, I think one of the things that he had as an intention, without really openly saying it, was to encourage other world leaders to think about this sort of thing. And that is, you know, the kind of thing that popes can do, using their bully pulpit, quite literally, a pulpit to speak of the things they think are right. And that's frequently rare these days in world affairs. [04:10:05]

So, yes, he had this ability to encourage people to take the opposite views on things. One of the earlier reports were about the way Trump, President Trump and the Pope differed on the question of immigration. The Pope was very big on that idea that immigrants should be welcomed, refugees should be welcomed. His first trip outside the Vatican with the Lampedusa, the island where so many refugees from Africa are showing up in any case. Basically he used the pulpit to encourage leaders around the world to do things that they should be doing moralistically, whether they performed that moral duty or not.

The Pope wanted to call them out for sure, to say, look, there is a question of right and wrong in this world and it's maybe something you should think about when you're performing and you're executing international policy. Isa.

SOARES: Yes, great exemplar of the Christian faith in its simplicity, in its humility and deep compassion, I think is what I am hearing from so many people right around the world. Jim Bittermann for us in Paris this morning. Thank you very much, Jim.

And Pope Francis wanted to be buried, as you can imagine, continuing, you know, his in style and very much his style, Jim was saying, in a simple tomb in a basilica which held a great personal significance for him. Our Nic Robertson has all the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): As he lived so Pope Francis wants to be remembered in death with a relatively modest funeral. The Pontiff paint his burial site two years ago wants a simple earthen grave.

POPE FRANCIS: The place is already prepared. I want to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): More than 1,500 years old, the Papal Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, sometimes known as Our Lady of the Snows, is a humbler pick than the traditional resting place of many popes, the gilded St. Peter's Basilica.

Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore was built big in Pope Francis life before and after every overseas trip he'd visit the Salius Pontula Romani, a much venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Vatican has just five to seven days to make the preparations before Francis' funeral must take place.

And despite France's wish for a modest send off, it is his humble characteristic that may make organizing his funeral even more challenging. His humility made him hugely popular. His death may draw many to the Vatican.

Over the coming four days, the Pontiff is expected to first lay in rest in the Sistine Chapel, then the Clementine Chapel for private visitations before laying in state inside St. Peter's Basilica where the public will be able to come pay their respects.

The last Pope's funeral, Benedict XVI two years ago, drew closer to hundred thousand mourners was elaborate. But as he died almost a decade after he abdicated, comparisons are hard to make. The last pope to die in office was Pope John Paul II in 2005. He had a very elaborate funeral.

So many world leaders wanted to come. Nations were limited to five places each. Italy and his native Poland granted rare exceptions. An estimated 300,000 people attended in St Peter's Square.

Following Francis funeral, there will be nine days of prayer and service known as the Novendiales. After that, 15 to 20 days from now, the process of picking a new pope begins knokwn as the Conclave of Cardinals, 120 of the church's 252 cardinals convenes in private. They remain isolated until France's successor is agreed. It may take almost two weeks. White smoke will signal success. A new pope is announced. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And before of course, news of the new pope, we will be seeing the mourning and the funeral of Pope Francis. This morning we'll show you the images that we've been getting of the Pope in his casket there. He , lying in rest since Monday night.

[04:15:02]

This was according to Vatin Karmalengo, a string of senior officials and family members took part in the rites. And this is being held at the chapel, the Dome Santa Marta. That's in Vatican City. His body, though we've confirmed the last few moments, will line state at St. Peter's Basilica as of tomorrow. And the funeral, we're being told just in the last few minutes will be on Saturday.

So for those just joining us in the last few minutes, we have been able to confirm through the Vatican the funeral of Pope Francis will be held this Saturday. As of tomorrow or Wednesday, his body would lie in State at 70 Peter's Basilica for people to come and pay his respects.

And the funeral will take place on Saturday, this Saturday at 10:00am Important, of course, this is something that as we hear the cardinals meeting at a Vatican. This is exactly what they're going through this morning. It's the logistical aspect. It's not about who will be the next boat as of yet. That happens at the conclave today is logistics, all the details in terms of what kind of funeral will he get, what time, what date.

And we're starting to get some clarity this morning. The funeral for Pope Francis will be On Saturday at 10:00 am. For those who want to pay the respects for Pope Francis, we are starting mourners seeing trickling in to St. Peter's Square. As you can see, there's this beautiful Sunday morning. His body will lie in State at St. Peter's Basilica from Wednesday. We will have much more on the legacy of Pope Francis ahead this hour.

But for now, I'm going to get you caught up with some other headlines with Rahel Solomon in New York.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. financial markets are looking to rebound from a manic Monday prompted by a true social post from President Trump. Let's take a look and see how U.S. futures are looking right now. All green across the board, up between about three quarters of 1 percent for the Dow to about 8. 10 of a percent for the S and P and the Nasdaq.

Trump calling the Fed chair a major loser who has been too slow to cut interest rates. And even though the Federal Reserve is supposed to be independent from politics. The White House is now looking at removing Powell, as Trump suggested on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast, believe me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: More now from CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: U.S. markets tumbled Monday over continuing trade uncertainty and President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine and oust Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The Dow closed down 972 points after tumbling more than 1,200 points during the day. And the Nasdaq and S and P closed down about 2 1/2 percent.

President Trump called the chair of the Federal Reserve a loser and directed him to lower interest rates. That rattled investors who feared for the Fed's independence. The Fed acts as a safety net for the U.S. economy, which includes fighting inflation, which most economists believe will rise amid President Trump's trade war.

The director of the White House Economic Counsel Kevin Hassett said the president is studying whether he can remove Powell. But many experts agree the president doesn't have that power.

Investors also dug in on the reality that there have been no trade deals made with key allies. And Beijing warn their trading partners not to isolate China like the US. The dollar also fell to its weakest level in three years, while gold, a safe haven for investors, hit a new record. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: All right. Still ahead for us, some Pentagon officials are questioning the defense secretary's judgment as he now faces a second Signal chat scandal. Coming up, the latest on what Pete Hegseth sent to members of his family. After the break, we go back to Rome for more on the life and the

legacy of Pope Francis. You are watching Early Start. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:23:46]

SOARES: If you're just joining us, a very good morning. I'm Isa Soares coming to you live from Rome, where It's just gone 20, 23 minutes past 10 here in the Italian capital. And if you're just joining, let me bring you up to date with the breaking news we've had just in the last few minutes. We've been told that the funeral for Pope Francis will be held on Saturday morning. Vatican telling us will be happening on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. local, that is 4:00 a.m. eastern.

At the moment these are the images you're looking at. The Pope is his body is lying in rest, as you can see that at the chapel, the Domo Santa Marta that's in Vatican City. We had a string -- we saw a string of family and senior officials taking part in the rites inside the chapel.

His coffin has been there since about 8 o'clock or so on Monday night. And we've been told in the last few moments as well that his body will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning.

[04:25:00]

So tomorrow morning at about 9:00 a.m. local, 3:00 a.m. eastern. That's when obviously people can come from around the world and start paying their respects. We have started seeing people fill in St. Peter's Square. So many share their love for Pope Francis.

And Catholics gathered in Buenos Aires on Monday have been celebrating the life as well as the service of Pope Francis. He was a pope of many firsts, the first Latin American pope. And countries across the region have declared national days of mourning. The archbishop of Buenos Aires said the pontiff boldly faced the church's problems. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORGE GARCIA CUERVA, ARCHBISHOP OF BUENOS AIRES (through translator): He put on the table and didn't hide the need for transparency in the church, the need for reforms in the church that were longed for. Maybe for this reason he was so criticized because he didn't quite at the problems but put them on the table. He didn't hide them or make them up, but proposed humanity take charge of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Flowers, candles and thank you letters were left outside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires in honor of the Pope. Football badges were also among the momentums, a sign of the pontiff's love of the sport. He even had his own special football team who even dedicated a tweet yesterday to him. Joining me now is Katie McGrady, CNN Vatican analyst and host of the

Katie McGrady Show on Cyrus XM's the Catholic Channel. The channel is operated by the Archdiocese of New York. Katie, really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us.

You know, when I arrived yesterday, the streets of Rome were pretty empty, Katie, and I was speaking to the driver and he was saying to me, people just stunned. He was a pope who was so loved by so many across Rome.

But as we have been hearing right across the world, what have you been hearing as people have been calling I, Katie?

KATIE MCGRADY, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: It's been interesting. A lot of people have been surprised. I don't think were unaware of his illness. Of course we've been watching it very closely since February. But it was a bit of a shock. We saw him on Sunday and he'd rallied and he was present to us. And then from what we now know as he slipped away Sunday night into Monday morning, I think the world was surprised and my Catholic friends and especially a lot of Catholic parents that I know they didn't expect that they were going to have to sit their kids down and say the Pope passed away.

My own girls who are seven and four, we had a lot of conversations yesterday about our beloved Pope Francis and were actually planning on coming to Rome for the canonization of Blessed Carlo, We've since kind of rerouted. Some of our plans will come when that canonization is rescheduled. Because a funeral is very different than a canonization. And I think the world is kind of still reeling a little bit that this is now what we're doing. And Easter week is burying our beloved Pope Francis.

SOARES: And you know, as a Catholic myself, Katie, I really always looked up to him. He was a great exemplar in so many ways of the Christian faith, in his simplicity, in his humility, in his deep compassion. And this is something that resonated even if you weren't Catholic, if you weren't Christian from right around the world as I was speaking to some guests in Asia Pacific region.

What resonated, you think, with so many? Why was it? What made him so special and so unique?

MCGRADY: Francis was a pope who recognized that if his motto was in some ways, todos, todos all, all, which is something he said at World Youth Day in Portugal, the last time we had a World Youth Day, that this, of course, would not just appeal to the Catholics who are already very much invested in the church, but everyone who perhaps maybe would be curious about the church, or at the very least would give Jesus a chance.

And even in his final homily, which he wasn't able to deliver because of course, he couldn't speak quite as well. So this homily was delivered on his behalf at the Easter Sunday Mass. He talked about this desire to run to Jesus and how that's the invitation to anyone who wants to encounter the Lord. That message of Francis from the get go was incredibly accessible. He was a pope who wanted to be close to the people and then invited

the people to be close to the Lord. And I think that evangelistic pastoral sensibility, at the same time that he also never shied away from talking about the challenges of the world. Pope Francis in his final Urbi et Orbi. So that's the message delivered from the balcony on Easter Sunday. The last time we saw him.

He literally listed off the conflicts of the world and appealed for peace in his last will and testament. The final thing he said to us was that in these final moments of his suffering, he offered it for brotherhood in the world, for peace in the world.

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