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Early Start with Rahel Solomon
Funeral For Pope Francis Will Be Held On Saturday; Trump Says He Will Attend Pope Francis' Funeral; U.S. Stocks Tumble As Trump Bashes Fed Chair Again. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired April 22, 2025 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. And a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from the U.S. and around the world. You are watching a special edition of EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Very good morning. I'm Isa Soares. It's Tuesday, April 22nd, 5:00 a.m. in New York. 11:00 a.m. here in Rome, where one day after Pope Francis died of a stroke and heart failure. Cardinals have set a date for his funeral.
And a very good morning, everyone. Just gone 11:00 a.m. here in Rome. And the Vatican says the funeral mass for Pope Francis will be held outside of St. Peter's Basilica. And that's going to happen on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time. Here. That is 4:00 a.m. Eastern.
And these images into CNN that were just showing you show him lying in a coffin as mourning rites continue, his body will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica. That is expected to happen on Wednesday. And that will allow so many of the faithful to come and pay their farewells and to pay their respects.
And mourners, have we been seeing this morning continuing to trickle in to St. Peter's Square, where we have seen cardinals marking the first full day of the period between the death of a pope and the election of another. 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 electing the next pope.
But before we think about the next pope, many taking time, of course, to remember Pope Francis. He was a pope of many firsts. The first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope outside of Europe in something like 800 years.
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And the first to take the name Francis, after Saint Francis of Assisi, a saint who championed the poor, a pope who appeared at the balcony in a simple white cassock, whose first request came back in 2013, became a calling card. He asked people to pray for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) POPE FRANCIS, CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I ask that you pray to the Lord so that he blesses me.
Pray for me. Amen.
Pray for me -- to pray for me.
Pray for me, please.
Do not forget to pray for me.
Remember to pray for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, our chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, has a close look at the events leading up to the death of Pope Francis.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The bells toll at Saint Peters in tribute to a pope who reshaped the Catholic Church. Pope Francis died from stroke and heart failure on Monday morning, the Vatican said. And as news broke of his passing, mourners poured into Saint Peter's Square, united in their grief.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just a very sad day. It's honestly, I think, impressive that he made it to Easter. I think that's almost like a miracle for Italy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty much devastated all of us. It's -- yeah, really bad. It's really sad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a moment of a bit of sadness and at the same time, thankfulness and celebration of life.
WARD: Outside the pope's residence at Casa Santa Marta, prayers and shock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, yesterday we saw him in the square in St. Peter's Square, and we knew he was sick, but nobody expected that he was going to die the day, the day after.
WARD: Pope Francis had cut back on his duties this month, after five weeks in the hospital this year, when he battled life-threatening double pneumonia.
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I pray for you every day. I bless you.
WARD: But on Sunday, he'd been hard at work, meeting U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, before appearing on the balcony of St. Peter's-- sick, frail but determined to give his traditional Easter blessing.
(POPE FRANCIS SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) WARD: A move delighting the crowd gathered outside.
More so his ride through the square in his popemobile for the first time since leaving the hospital a month ago, stopping to bless the young, sick and vulnerable.
On Monday, though, the jubilation of the Catholic faithful turned into a global grief, tributes praising his warmth, humility and moral leadership in a troubled world.
During his whole pontificate, President Macron said he was by the side of the most vulnerable, the most fragile.
In the pope's final weeks, he visited prisoners in a jail in Rome and renewed calls in his final address for an end to the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: He urged the world to invest in what he referred to as the weapons of peace, to help the most vulnerable, to fight hunger, to advance development.
WARD: Rosary prayers were said at the Vatican Monday night in honor of an extraordinary life that touched rich and poor across the world.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And 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 lowered to half-staff until Pope Francis is buried, as funerals have been saying, will be held this Saturday.
The late pontiff met with Donald Trump and the first lady in 2017, during the president's first term in office. It was their only face to face meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIA TRUMP, U.S. FIRST LADY: Thank you. I'm going to visit the hospital. Thank you for meeting us. I will. Thank you so much your highness.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, thank you. I won't forget you. Good luck. Anything I can do let me know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And while that was very cordial back in 2017, 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. And he spoke about him with praise. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: He worked hard. He-- he loved the world, and it's an honor to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And, of course, we'll have much more on the legacy of Pope Francis ahead this -- this hour.
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But for now, I want to get you caught up with some other headlines with Rahel Solomon, who's in New York -- Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right, Isa. Thank you.
U.S. financial markets are looking to rebound from a manic Monday, prompted by a Truth Social post from President Trump. Let's take a look and see how U.S. futures are looking right now.
The last hour they were up, still up, in fact, up a bit more than they were in the last hour. Up between 9/10 of a percent for the Dow, to about 1 percent for both the S&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.
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TRUMP: If I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast. Believe me.
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SOLOMON: More now from CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich.
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VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & 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&P closed down about 2.5 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 Council, 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 warned their trading partners not to isolate China, like the U.S.
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. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire for yet another Signal chat scandal.
Coming up, the latest on the military plans that he sent to members of his family.
Plus, a look at how Catholics around the world are remembering Pope Francis.
You are watching CNN. We'll be right back.
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SOARES: Welcome back, everyone.
Well, the outpouring of grief for Pope Francis has been found not only here in in Rome, really, but not every continent right around the world.
He was very popular in the Philippines. That's Asia's largest Catholic nation, where more than 2,000 people have paid tribute at a mass in Manila. Earlier. One woman, overcome with emotion, said losing Pope Francis was like losing a father.
Worshipers in the Democratic Republic of Congo also paying tribute. The pope was a beloved figure in the war-torn country for his frequent prayers for peace.
Meanwhile, in London, one priest reflected on the impact of the pope's passing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN BESWICK, PRIEST: I think on Christians throughout the world, so many people look to the pope as the leader of the Christian world. And, and I think it will be a time of great sadness, but also a time when people will be praying and reflecting on what the Lord is calling his people to do next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Catholics in South Korea also prayed and expressed their gratitude to Pope Francis in the capital, Seoul. The pope visited the country in 2014 as part of his first trip to Asia. He met with survivors as well as family members of victims from the seawall ferry accident, you remember, which killed more than 300 people that same year.
And just in the last few minutes, we have been able to confirm that President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, as well as his wife, will be attending the funeral. The funeral is taking place this coming Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local here in Rome will be held outside, as we've been told.
Not the first time. Pope John Paul's funeral, pardon me, also being held outside.
Let me get more. Joining me now is Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, and she joins us now live from Washington.
Great to have you on the show, Kim.
Let me -- you know, we were just outlining there and showing some of the prayers, the rosary service that we've seen and the outpouring of love and grief that we have seen for Pope Francis and from all over the world. And that spoke so much about the kind of leader he was. I remember him saying, in Portugal, my home country, todos, todos, todos all, everyone, everyone, everyone. Which is very much who he was and how he wanted his teaching to be recognized. He went to his flock.
What kind of impact do you think that has had on the Catholic Church? On individuals right from right around the world?
KIM DANIELS, DIRECTOR, INITIATIVE ON CATHOLIC SOCIAL THOUGHT & PUBLIC SOCIAL THOUGHT & PUBLIC LIFE, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: He's had a remarkable impact.
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You know, I was there in St. Peter's Square when he was elected 12 years ago, and I remember him coming out on that balcony and asking us to pray for him in this remarkable moment of humility.
And what I felt then was a being a part of a global church. There were people from all around the world there in St. Peter's Square. I think one of the impacts that Pope Francis has had is to remind us that we are a global church of over a billion people spread around the world, and that we are one human family. That's been one of his most important messages, most important priorities.
And you see it today when you see the outpouring from global leaders, but most importantly from regular people, especially the poor and vulnerable around the globe.
SOARES: Yeah, he really gave voice to the voiceless as well as the powerless. And the fact that we've confirmed in the last hour that his funeral will be held not just on Saturday, but be held outside, similar to John Paul. I mean, that says a lot right there about how he wanted his -- his end to be very much like what we -- his papacy with the people.
DANIELS: It's very telling. And when you look at St. Peter's Square, when you picture that image, you see those columns of Bernini that are like arms open to the world. It's just this powerful, powerful architectural image.
But most of all, St. Peter's is our home as Catholics and really a home for everyone who recognizes that goodwill, who recognizes that we should love our neighbor, who recognizes that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has really been a moral leader for our world, and again, especially for the poor and vulnerable, especially for migrants and refugees, those who don't have a home, those who -- who look for a home. And Pope Francis would say that everybody has a home in the Catholic Church.
SOARES: Yeah, not just the marginalized, but I remember his sermon on, you know, Easter Sunday, drawing attention again, Kim, to -- to the -- to the many crises and wars we are seeing around the world, be it in Sudan, being in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza as well.
He continued to speak in such a transparent and clear way that resonated with different backgrounds, different, you know, religious groups as well. And I think that is something that younger generations in particular are loved and admired about him. I wonder in terms of legacy, what his greatest legacy will be, in your view, Kim?
DANIELS: I think a couple of things. And first, I want to point to your image right there of him being a man of peace, right? That he took the name Pope Francis after St. Francis, a man of the poor, also a man of peace. And that was one of his most clear priorities.
And at the same time, as you said, this is something that really resonated with young people. They saw him as a man of mercy. He saw a church that was based on a church that's humble yet bold, rooted in tradition, yet forward looking.
And I think this will be his legacy, right? It is a program of both spiritual renewal and structural reform. You know, I've been watching young people on social media and the love that they have for -- for Pope Francis and the way they are reacting to this, I think that says so much about our future. And I think he really has put us in a direction that is, again, forward looking, but that -- that has taken a place in the hearts of young people around the world.
SOARES: And on that note, I mean, when we're talking, Kim, about electing a new pope, we're not just talking about a pope, we're talking about the direction in which the church will be going in. Do we -- do you think, Kim, that we will likely to see the similar style progressive pope as we saw in Pope Francis?
DANIELS: I think you're likely to see someone who follows on in the tradition of modern popes, right. Recent popes that what they're trying to do is follow up on Vatican Council II, this momentous event in the middle of the 20th century, that really brought the church into the modern world, and each have responded in their own times and places, in their own contexts, how we should be bringing the church to respond and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to our particular context today.
And Pope Francis had a particular response to that. He said, we are a home with open doors for everybody. We are a church of mercy. We are a church that accompanies people, and he calls each one of us to do that.
I -- I think that we will continue to see that message bringing the gospel to our current context of a divided and broken world. In the church going forward, in the leader that follows Pope Francis.
SOARES: Yeah, such a fragmented world. Those voices are so important right now. Voice of compassion. Very much needed.
Kim Daniels, really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us. Thank you. Kim.
DANIELS: Thank you.
SOARES: Well, as Catholics around the world mourn, cardinals will meet in the coming weeks to elect a new pope in a secretive and centuries-old tradition.
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We'll have much more on what the conclave means and how it happens. That's next.
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SOARES: Continue here to mourn the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday, aged 88.
I want to take you to Paris now, where CNN's Jim Bittermann joins us now.
Jim has covered five popes and is now outside the Notre Dame.
Jim, you've covered five popes. You still like your 32? I don't know how you do it, but give us some of your insight. I know the Notre Dame held a tribute mass yesterday.
What have you -- what have you been hearing?
