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Isa Soares Tonight

Rubio Meets With Israeli Leaders In Jerusalem; U.S. Weighs Cutting Funds To Colombia Over the Fight On Drugs; New Details Emerge In The Shooting Of Charlie Kirk As His Assassination Reverberates Across The United States; Romania Condemns Moscow After Russian Drone Breach; NATO Allies Beef Up Defense; U.S. VP Vance Hosts Charlie Kirk's Podcast; Tyler Robinson to Make First Court Appearance Tuesday. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired September 15, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

meets with Israeli leaders as strikes on Gaza city intensify by the hour. And tensions between U.S. allies in the region reach a boiling point. We'll

bring you, of course, the very latest.

Plus, as the U.S. weighs cutting funds to Colombia over the fight on drugs, we'll bring you my exclusive interview with Colombia's Defense Minister as

his country faces wide-ranging ramifications. And new details emerge in the shooting of Charlie Kirk as his assassination reverberates across the

United States. We'll have the details for you.

But first, tonight at a time when Israel is facing increasing international isolation over the mass deaths and famine in Gaza, the United States is

standing beside its ally, offering unwavering support. Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing shoulder-to-shoulder there with Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today.

Rubio heads next to Qatar in the wake of an Israeli strike targeting Hamas negotiators in Doha. Today, Rubio said diplomacy may not work with Hamas

despite a new U.S. ceasefire proposal offered, if you remember, just last week. Mr. Netanyahu wouldn't rule out further strikes on Hamas, vowing to

go after their leaders wherever they are. While Rubio said the only way to end the war is for Hamas to free all hostages and surrender.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: We want all the hostages out, all of them, every single one of them, both living and deceased, all

of them. There should never have been hostages. This should never have happened. OK? This happened because on October 7th, these animals, these

barbaric animals conducted this operation and against innocent people that had nothing to do with any of this.

And that's why this all started. We've forgotten that. People have forgotten that that's where this all began.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Rubio also defended Israel's expanding assault on Gaza city. Today, the tallest building there was bombed into dust as the IDF escalates

strikes on high rises. The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israel is forcibly displacing residents toward what it calls overcrowded

concentration camps in the south.

The IDF estimates some 320,000 Palestinians have left Gaza city since Israel issued evacuation orders. And while the U.S. shows solidarity with

Israel, Arab and Muslim leaders are standing by Qatar after the Israeli strike. Qatar is hosting an emergency summit in Doha today, and the Emir

had blistering words about the Israeli attack that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security official while ceasefire efforts were

underway. He called the strike, quote, "vile, treacherous and cowardly", saying it's impossible to deal with Israel's, quote, "malice and betrayal".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAMIM BIN HAMAD AL THANI, EMIR OF QATAR: If Israel wants to assassinate Hamas' political leadership, why is it negotiating with them? And if it

wants to negotiate for the release of hostages, why is it assassinating everyone with whom it could negotiate? And how are we supposed to receive

in our country Israeli delegations for negotiations, while those who sent these delegations are planning to bomb this country?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, strong words there. CNN's Kevin Liptak is at the White House. Kevin, good to see you. Look, this is clearly as we just laid out for our

viewers there, quite a balancing act, a delicate balancing act for Secretary Rubio. The U.S. clearly frustrated and blindsided by the way, by

the strike in Qatar, but still not condemning it. Where does this leave U.S.-Qatari relations, where, of course, the U.S. Secretary is going next?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and I think Rubio is in a difficult spot for all of the frustration that we heard from here at the

White House over how that Israeli operation in Qatar proceeded. You would not know it just listening to what Rubio was saying, standing there next to

Benjamin Netanyahu, saying essentially that the focus now is what happens next, how to move forward from that episode.

We are learning a little more from Israeli sources about what transpired behind the scenes when Rubio and Netanyahu were talking, particularly when

it comes to Israel's operations in Gaza city. Rubio, according to Israeli sources, putting full U.S. support behind that, but saying that he wanted

the operation to move quickly.

[14:05:00]

And you know, it's interesting because President Trump has essentially been agnostic about that mission, saying that it was a decision and decisions

that were up to Netanyahu and Israel. But Rubio, according to these sources, saying that the U.S. was behind Israel in all of this. I think his

mission in Qatar will be one of reassurance.

And, you know, when President Trump was speaking to the Emir after that incident, he did say that this wouldn't happen again. But I think it's an

open question of how he can provide those assurances, given the U.S. really had no buy-in in this attack from the get-go. And so, what Rubio will be

trying to do is to reiterate to Qatar the importance of that relationship.

Obviously, thousands of U.S. troops stationed in Qatar, this is a very important alliance for the United States. But it's not exactly clear how

he will back those reassurances up. And so, it's a very difficult diplomatic mission, I think, for the Secretary of State, as he now heads to

the Qatari capital.

SOARES: Yes, let me pick up on that because, look, as we just played that little clip there from the Emir of Qatar, clearly very much outraged by

this Israeli strike in Qatar, Prime Minister Netanyahu saying, of course, he could take this action again. This is something you and I have

discussed.

Is -- do we know if this is what the Qataris are looking for, in terms of are they looking for reassurances, will the U.S. be able to provide any

sort of reassurances? I mean, what are you hearing in terms of what he's trying to get out of this meeting here?

LIPTAK: I think that they are trying to get some sort of commitment from the U.S. that it will put pressure on Israel not to take these steps again.

And I think, you know, perhaps, Rubio gained something like that in his private discussions, we haven't learned that from the Israeli sources that

we're talking to.

But I think it's beyond just the Qataris. You talk about all of these critical American alliances in the region, whether it's the Emiratis,

whether it's the Saudis, they're all looking for some sign from Rubio that the President is exerting whatever influence and leverage that he has with

the Israelis to ensure this type of action doesn't happen again.

You know, I was thinking, today is the exact five-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords. That was sort of the signature accomplishment of the

President's first term. It was September 15th, 2020, that representatives from the Emirates, from Bahrain were all here at the White House to sign

these normalization agreements with Israel.

And it's sort of impossible to imagine that sort of thing happening now. You know, President Trump has said that he wants to expand the Accords. He

wants to potentially bring in Saudi Arabia, which would be sort of the biggest prize in all of this. But the Emiratis have said that this is not

something that is going to sort of further the President's ambitions here.

And I think for Rubio, one of his goals is to try and preserve this signature accomplishment of the first Trump administration, and it's going

to be very difficult, I think, for him to do that in the current environment.

SOARES: Indeed, we shall see, of course. Kevin, appreciate it as always. Kevin Liptak there. Well, according to a former Israeli military chief who

oversaw the first 17 months of war in Gaza, more than 10 percent of Gaza's entire population has been killed or injured since the war began.

That's more than 200,000 men, women and children. And that number could dramatically rise if Israel continues its assault on Gaza city. Our Jeremy

Diamond has more on, and we do want to warn you, his report has some disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(EXPLOSION)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gaza city trembles with each new blast. Lately, its residents have faced one strike

after another. The reality on the ground is even more terrifying. Bloodied and shaken, the injured are rushed out amid swirls of smoke and ash.

Wounded children carried once again into hospitals, ill-equipped to handle the rising tide of casualties that accompanies Israel's intensifying

bombardment of Gaza city. More than 140 were killed here over the weekend, according to local hospitals. A wave of attacks that shook many here into

fleeing the city, sleepy children bundled into their parents' arms, essential belongings lugged by those forced to move once again.

At daybreak, their numbers multiply. A mass exodus on a scale not seen in Gaza in many months. More than 100,000 people were displaced this weekend

alone according to Israeli military estimates. "I'm coming from death, indiscriminate bombardments, martyrs in the streets", Mohammed(ph) says. It

is a miracle we survived.

Old and young pressed south towards an uncertain future. Those who can afford it pay to ride on top of trucks and trailers.

[14:10:00]

For many here, this is not a first. They have been forced to pile their entire lives on top of cars and makeshift carts before. They have already

lost so much, and they are exhausted. This man says 25 of his relatives have already been killed. "I left only for these children, but I wish a

rocket would hit me and I die and find comfort, because this is not life", he says. His frustration rising.

(EXPLOSION)

DIAMOND: The hundreds of thousands who still remain in Gaza city will face much more destruction and loss as Israel prepares to send ground forces

into the city in the coming days. Ahmed(ph) is inconsolable as he walks amid the rubble of another Israeli strike. A military evacuation order

allowed him to escape with his life, but little else.

"The house is gone. Where will we stay?" He cries, but he won't find any answers here, and so many others are asking themselves the same question.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And still to come, tonight, President Trump leaves the door open to military action against Venezuela. But could it lead to a full escalation?

We'll look at what it means for strained ties with the Maduro government. Plus, amid a major rise in cocoa farming, Colombia could lose millions of

dollars in USA aid. I'll ask Colombia's Defense Minister about the country's drug production and what is at stake? That exclusive interview

coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: U.S. President Donald Trump isn't ruling out military escalation against Venezuela. On Sunday, he was non-committal when asked if trying to

remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was on the table. He also didn't answer directly when asked about potential military attacks on the

country's mainland. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we'll see what happens. Look, Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and

drugs. It's not acceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, early, if you remember, this month, the U.S. attacked what? The White House says was a boat from Venezuela trafficking drugs. The U.S.

says 11 people were killed, Venezuela strongly denied the accusations. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is calling for wider readiness to

defend the country.

[14:15:00]

Venezuelans enrolled in militias began really training to use firearms just this weekend as you can see there. Stefano Pozzebon joins me now live. He

was recently in Caracas for us. He joins us now from Bogota in Colombia. And we're just getting these lines, Stefano, from Maduro, who has been

speaking for the last hour and 15 minutes or so.

And it strikes me, as he said, the recent incident, he said with the United States are aggression. But he also said the communications with the U.S.

are broken, which then begs the question, what happened to those repatriation flights, oil shipments, what more can you tell us from what he

said.

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, Isa, well, Maduro is still actually speaking as of -- as we're -- you and I are speaking now. But yes, he did

say that the communication with Washington have gone down, the garbage actually, that's what he said in Spanish. But at the same time, he also

admitted that, that did not mean that the deportation flight or repatriation flights, as he prefers to call them from Washington down to

Caracas of Venezuelan migrants apprehended within the United States have stopped.

Nor, as you correctly pointed out, have stopped the shipments of crude oil that regularly from Venezuela travel up towards the U.S. Gulf coast, in

particular for the oil major, Chevron, which is currently the only U.S.- sanctioned oil corporation that has a license to operate in Venezuela.

And also, even more interestingly, I was speaking with an analyst who this morning, who pointed out to me that we have not seen U.S. forces

interdicting or seizing shipments of oil that Venezuela regularly sends to either India or China. We know that Venezuela has been selling despite the

sanctions, crude oil to Asian superpowers and particularly China, which is a close ally of the Maduro administration.

And we haven't seen the U.S. going after those shipments. What we're seeing, at least, from Maduro's narrative, is the U.S. going after the

shipments of tuna fishing. He was making reference to an incident that occurred on Friday where, apparently, 18 Marines took control of a

Venezuelan fishing boat in international waters.

And Maduro said that these Marines were trying to create a military incident. They were trying to create a pretext to call for an all-out war.

We haven't fall for provocation, that's what Maduro has said, we're not falling for any provocation in the future. Basically, the line from Caracas

in the last few weeks has been that these operations, they were seen in the Caribbean with deployments of up to eight warships.

One of them is a nuclear-powered submarine. We have seen the deployments of several F-35 fighter jets out of Puerto Rico to patrol the south of the

Caribbean sea, allegedly to stem-drug trafficking, but actually to put pressure on the Maduro administration, on the Maduro government. Well,

Caracas says it's completely out of proportion.

It's just a pretext, they're trying to create a pretext that perhaps to further escalation, to further, to opening up the possibility of an open

conflict. Of course, Maduro is well versed in the rhetoric of the anti- imperialism. So, he pointed out to other episodes, for example, Iraq with the pretext of the weapons of mass destruction allegedly held by Saddam

Hussein.

And actually, there were not back then in the early 2000 or other episodes in the history of U.S. interventions in South America, where pretext like

this have been used to justify a Washington intervention, which is what Maduro is saying that Washington is actually after. But, we'll see. We'll

see what happens.

One thing that is interesting, Isa, he said that we should stop calling it tension in the southern Caribbean sea. He clearly watches CNN, so, he likes

to point out when we call -- we use a language that he doesn't agree with. He said that this is not just tension anymore. This is an all-out

aggression, and he called on the international community to rein in this aggression from -- in particular, the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

That's what he -- the one that he calls --

SOARES: Yes --

POZZEBON: Is behind all of this strategy. We'll see what happens in the next few days and weeks. It's very interesting --

SOARES: Indeed. And you'll stay -- I know you'll stay across Mr. Maduro, who does love a good monologue. Let us know when he comes -- or if he has

any underlines. Thank you Stefano, appreciate it. Now, of course, President Trump, as Stefano has been saying there, has made cracking down on drug

cartels a central goal of his administration.

But he's ratcheted up his standoff with Venezuela -- it's actually a U.S. ally. Colombia, that's the world's largest producer of cocaine. The

government there has spent decades fighting drug traffic, but now it's at the risk of U.S. decertification for inadequate counter-drug measures. A

move that would cut millions of dollars in development programs as well as military assistance.

[14:20:00]

Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez joined me in the studio for an exclusive interview here in London. I started by asking him what role

Colombia played in the U.S. strike on that boat in the Caribbean that Stefano was talking about, that boat carrying 11 alleged members of the

Venezuelan criminal gang, Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. accuses of drug trafficking. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEDRO SANCHEZ, DEFENSE MINISTER, COLOMBIA: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SOARES: We know the drugs arriving from -- to the United States are not -- the majority are not from Venezuela. And this is -- this is according to

the DEA's annual report that was published in March. The majority coming from Colombia via Ecuador. In fact, they say in their report, 84 percent of

the cocaine seized in the U.S. comes from Colombia.

One respond to that, because if the U.S. is going after cartels and drugs, where does this leave Colombia? And two, do you fear, Minister, that the

U.S. could decertify Colombia as a partner on the war on drugs?

SANCHEZ: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SOARES: I hear you, but you're not -- you're not denying that the majority of the drugs arriving in the United States comes from Colombia.

SANCHEZ: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SOARES: OK --

SANCHEZ: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SOARES: Let me put this to you. Is Colombia going to be decertified by the United States? Just -- and if so, what would the impact be on Colombia, and

how are you preparing for that scenario?

[14:25:00]

SANCHEZ: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: And our thanks to Colombian Defense Minister there, Pedro Sanchez. And still to come tonight, rising tensions in Europe. Details ahead on why

Moscow is being condemned by Romania after this weekend. Plus, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance pays tribute to Charlie Kirk, what he's doing today to

honor his close friend. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:20]

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Irresponsible actions. Romania is strongly condemning Moscow after a Russian drone allegedly breaches its airspace.

Romania's defense ministry says the incident happened on Saturday during an attack on neighboring Ukraine. Russia has not yet responded to that claim.

And it comes just days after Poland accused Russian drones of violating its airspace.

In response, the British government now plans to have its fighter jets take part in air defense missions over Poland as NATO strengthens its eastern

flank. Our Nick Paton Walsh, is tracking these rising tensions as the war in Ukraine persists.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The incursion of what seems to be a single Russian drone into Romanian

airspace, a reminder that since at least 19 Russian drones crossed into Poland last week, the threat of that has not remotely reduced. And indeed,

any suggestion that NATO's plan to launch something called Eastern Sentry, and that's increased assets in their airspace on the eastern border, to

shoot down any Russian drones that crossed the program announced after the incursion into Poland, any thoughts that might have changed the Kremlin's

thinking, made them more cautious to avoid what some might say were unintentional or probing incursions like those we saw over Poland. That

simply hasn't happened.

One drone, though, potentially more easily to subscribe to an error, but certainly a sign that Moscow is not doing its utmost to try and avoid that

kind of mistake from happening again. But attention also turning now to what sanctions may particularly follow in the days ahead. President Trump

has long been telegraphing his readiness for a second -- or another package of sanctions against Russia. He said he was ready for that last weekend,

but this weekend, he piled pressure upon Europe, still purchasing reduced but significant amounts of Russian hydrocarbons.

Remember, geographically, Europe so much closer to Russia that it's more dependent on that market and finds it harder to peel itself away. But

essentially, Trump saying that if NATO, as European NATO, doesn't wean away from purchases from Russia and implement tough sanctions itself, he won't

do that from the United States perspective.

Possibly a sensible, logical argument there that if Europe wants the United States to put heavy sanctions against Russia, Europe should at least do

that itself. But critics of Trump may indeed argue this is another case of a tough decision against Putin looming and Trump instead choosing to

pressure his allies.

Europe, though, potentially hours, if not days ahead of another sanctions package against Russia. Told by a European official, this 19th package may

involve further restrictions on tourist visas for Russians to travel to the European Union, possibly restrictions on its diplomats travel with inside

that block as well, along with maybe more sanctions against banking, the Shadow Fleet that moves Russian hydrocarbons around, crypto exchanges and

possibly export bans as well.

Another package potentially designed to Washington that Europe is engaged and bringing its own tough sanctions in. But this talk also coming at a

time of frailty for Ukraine on the frontline. Russian sources and bloggers suggesting some key villages may have changed hands in the past days, but a

significant outage of the Starlink internet service reported early on Monday morning, maybe just a couple of hours, but it certainly impacted

Ukrainian servicemen on the frontlines who are desperately dependent on that Internet service to communicate between each other, but also to help

pilot the significant amount of drones they used to make up for their manpower shortage and hold back the Russian military. It's a key part of

their defense.

Late July, that Internet service went down for also just a matter of hours. There was significant anxiety then. Many workarounds seem to have been

rushed to the fore. And also, some servicemen I spoke to said, look, the Starlink is key for us. But ultimately, we knew this might happen and we

had workarounds readym and they seem less perturbed than I had expected.

A second outage, though, potentially a sign that this frailty may indeed continue and maybe a reminder, too, of the need for future proofing against

Starlink's vulnerability, but also his ownership by Elon Musk and his own political sensibilities.

But still, all eyes on sanctions and whether or not that will form part of a changing of the Kremlin's calculus, particularly when it comes to

incursions into NATO airspace.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And our thanks to Nick Paton Walsh. Still to come tonight, the FBI director says a suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder left a note behind. What

officials say was in that message. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:35:00]

SOARES: Well, as new details emerge about the suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk, a high-profile friend and supporter of the conservative

activist is paying tribute to him in an unusual way. A short time ago, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance hosted Kirk's popular show. He credited the

right-wing podcaster with getting him onto the Republican presidential ticket. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: It is such an honor to have people show me that Charlie said, we want J.D. to be the VP nominee. And I just had a

conversation with the president, and I think things are actually going well. I think he's actually going to choose J.D. Vance. Do you know what it

means to me that such a good guy, such a good friend, such a lion and visionary of our movement was advocating for me? So, I wanted to use this

show today to advocate for Charlie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: As for the investigation, FBI Director Kash Patel says DNA that was recovered from a screwdriver and towel found with a gun used in the murder

matched that of the suspects. Patel also says 22-year-old Tyler Robinson wrote a note prior to the shooting. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: We have evidence to show what was in that note, which is, and I'm going to summarize basically saying -- the suspect wrote

a note saying, I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I'm going to take it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: CNN's Ed Lavandera is following developments for us from Utah. Ed, good to see you. So, what more can you add? We heard there from FBI

Director Kash Patel, not giving us much detail, though. What are you hearing on the investigation front, first of all?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, that was kind of the main crux of the detail about this note where he talks about

Charlie Kirk -- or the 22-year-old suspect, having the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, that he was going to take it.

What the FBI director did not get into is the full context of that message, who it was sent to, what -- you know, what was the full scope of all of

what was said in that message. And also, you know, what form it took. Was it a text message? Was it some sort of social media message? We do not know

the extent of that.

But he also did add that the message was, quote, "destroyed and recovered by investigators." So, you know, we should point out that an FBI director

talking about this specific level of detail is very unusual. And the FBI director has been under fire for several days now for his handling of this

investigation, and especially during the 33-hour manhunt, as investigators were desperately trying to find where this suspect might be.

[14:40:00]

And then, he also alluded there to a screwdriver and a towel containing DNA evidence of the 22-year-old suspect that was found with the firearm used in

the shooting and killing of Charlie Kirk here on this Utah campus. And that screwdriver and towel were found in the wooded area on the edge of the

campus where the firearm was discovered the day of the shooting. And that also is an interesting tidbit.

This, as the 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, is expected to make his first court appearance tomorrow afternoon here in Utah. And that is when

formal criminal charges will be filed. We do not know if he has an attorney yet or if one will be appointed for him. But the 22-year-old suspect

remains in the county jail here, where he's being held without bond. And he faces serious criminal charges. And officials and investigators here are

saying that they will pursue the death penalty as this case moves forward.

SOARES: And, Ed, just on the suspect, is he collaborating? Is he speaking? What more are you hearing on that front?

LAVANDERA: We are -- our understanding is that Tyler Robinson is not -- is no longer speaking with investigators. Apparently, he did speak or said

some things. We don't know exactly what he might have said initially, but that he has not said anything since he has been -- arrived back here in the

Orem, Utah, area and remains in the jail there.

SOARES: Ed, as always, good to see you. Thank you very much indeed. And still to come tonight, after decades of declining attendance in much of the

Western world, the Catholic church seems to be experiencing a resurrection. We'll tell you with whom after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Welcome back. Over the past few decades, the West has seen a sharp decline in religious engagement from younger people as they struggle to

identify with mainstream denominations. And even though child sex abuse scandals across the globe have rocked the Catholic church, the Catholic

faith is becoming popular, especially among young Europeans. France, for example, is seeing young adults joining in droves. Catchy many, even

clerics, by surprise. Our Melissa Bell looks at why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sharing the oldest of message in the newest of forms. On Instagram and TikTok, Sister Albertine

leads prayers and offers advice to her more than half million followers. Part of a growing tribe of Catholic influencers who are speaking to a

generation dusting off the solemnity of the past.

[14:45:00]

SISTER ALBERTINE DEBACKER, FRENCH CATHOLIC NUN AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER: This is how God is doing, I think. He's surprising us. How are we going to

help these young people?

BELL (voice-over): Partly through song and dance. At this Christian festival in the foothills of the French Alps, a young generation has

flocked. Many followers of Sister Albertine, who've come to hear her speak.

JEANNE FABRE, FESTIVAL ATTENDEE (through translator): She really makes questions of faith accessible. And in fact, she's really authentic.

BELL (voice-over): The 29-year-old nun says she's inundated with questions. Her role: simply to take to the space where the young spend most of their

time.

DEBACKER: Jesus was going outside. Jesus was walking all the time. He was searching for encounter people. And now, in 2025, to encounter people, we

have to start with social media.

BELL: Over the last few years here in France, there's been a doubling in the number of adult baptisms, with nearly half of those coming from

families with no religious background. The starkest rise of all is amongst the very youngest, 18- to 25-year- olds.

BELL (voice-over): The stunning rebuilding of Notre Dame may also have added a new shine to the image of Catholicism. Audrey Bourges, who's 24,

shows us where she was fortunate enough to be baptized on Easter.

AUDREY BOURGES, CATHOLIC CONVERT: So, the church I was was really, really helpful, because I joined just after COVID. I found friends. I found my

boyfriend. I found everything I was looking for in my life. Peace. And some people I can rely on.

BELL (voice-over): Back at the festival, Sister Albertine, just back from the Vatican's jubilee celebrations, tells the crowd of her chance encounter

with Pope Leo. She'd been invited as one of more than a thousand influencers, as the church moves to capitalize on this thoroughly modern

megaphone to the young.

FATHER LUCIANO COUTO, HEAD OF YOUTH MINISTRY, CHEMIN NEUF COMMUNITY: They are eager for that. They are thirsty for that experience. God can talk to

me.

And they are coming to the Catholic Church, because we have a 2,000- years tradition of teaching people to hear God's voice. And that's awesome.

BELL (voice-over): A religion, says Father Luciano, that is yet again showing its remarkable power of resurrection.

Melissa Bell, CNN, in the French Alps.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And it's not just in Europe. Catholic influencer Rob Galea, based in Australia, is one of the many priests reaching out on social media. Have

a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATHER ROB GALEA, CATHOLIC INFLUENCER: You need to decompress. I decompress, and I do this in two ways. Number one is my prayer, my

meditation, my sitting with the Lord. But also, the second thing that I do is that I go to the gym.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: You need to get your fitness in there. Well, Father Galea has hundreds of thousands of followers across his various social media

platforms. I spoke with him earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GALEA: Something happened in COVID. You see, during the lockdown, a lot of churches closed down. And a lot of the young people that I met just came to

thank me, to give me a big hug and say, thank you for being with me, for journeying with me through COVID. And since then, I've been following you,

being encouraged, and also, been able to keep the fire of God's love.

And of course, it's not just me. It's a lot of other amazing influencers that are out there that are trying to keep the flame alive in the hearts of

young people in the place that they are. They're spending most of their time on their phone. So, we get to meet them there, to bring God to them

there. And for that, I've just seen how enthusiastic they are, but also how grateful.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GALEA: As I prepare the altar, I'm filled with a deep sense of honor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: I wonder, Father, whether the followers that you have gained on social media, whether that is translating to the Catholic church. Look, I'm

Catholic. I was brought up Catholic. You know, going to church on Sunday wasn't the most riveting of days as a young girl. And seeing what you put

out and so many others, it's really wonderful, the energy you bring, the spirituality you bring to that. Is that translating to more people in your

church?

GALEA: Well, in our particular case, yes, but I'd say it's extraordinary. And the reason is, again, to go back to the time when the churches were

closed and we stayed open digitally. And so, when the churches opened, myself and even the parish priest that I work with, we kept our doors open

and the people felt that we were their parish priests. And so, our parish has tripled in size since COVID because of our social media presence. And

the fact that we -- they feel that we hadn't abandoned them during a difficult moment.

[14:50:00]

But this is not the point necessarily to bring more people to our parishes. Sometimes it's so difficult for these young people to stay alive, to stay

faith-filled if they just go from Sunday to Sunday. What happens through social media and these influences is that we keep -- we try at least, to

keep their faith alive in their world, in the world that they are, to translate the world that they are experiencing through a faith perspective.

And then when they go to mass on Sunday, they go to church on Sunday, it's not like they're picking up from last week. But there's a continuation of

the faith journey throughout the week, throughout their life and throughout their social media life also.

SOARES: And I wonder whether there are certain things that work best, the way you connect, of course, to your followers.

GALEA: I would say authenticity, that people realize that priests are human, priests are broken, that priests are imperfect and priests are also

struggling with their own faith. And people can see this, they don't just see us in the vestments on the Sunday, but they see that we are journeying

too, that we are struggling too.

At the moment I'm struggling from jet lag, for example, and my followers know it. They know that I'm struggling through this and they see the human

side of it. And how does that fit in my faith? How does it fit in my journey? How does it fit as I prepare for -- to meet them on the Sunday in

the sanctuary? So, this is what I think people connect with most.

It's the prayers, yes. It's the pointing to God, yes. But I think the greatest thing is the authenticity, the humanity. And this generation is

realizing that their priests are human. But we're humans who want the best for our sheep. We want the best for those who follow us because we want to

lead them to Jesus and not to ourselves.

SOARES: As you well know, Father, the world seems very, I mean, from this perspective of where I'm sitting and telling viewers, bringing viewers the

news, a very bleak and dark place. I wonder whether your growing followers on social media, those who come to you seeking advice and prayers, do they

come to you because they're looking for hope or do they come to you because they're trying to get away from this darkness, this bleakness we're seeing

around the world?

GALEA: Well, I see the social influencer, the Catholic influencer, the priest influencer, as being present within and amongst the darkness. We are

in a place where we want to give people rest and to remind people that in and amidst all of this negativity and all of the darkness, there is always

hope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: A good way to end. Our thanks, of course, to Father Rob there. Well, Pope Leo had much to celebrate on Sunday in the aftermath of a

special Vatican weekend gathering. One of the things that made it special was the Pope's 70th birthday. CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb

reports for you from Rome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pope Leo looked out at the crowd that had gathered in St Peter's on Sunday and said, it seems

that, you know, it's my birthday. There were groups in the crowd holding up banners wishing Leo a happy birthday, including from Peru, the country, of

course, that Leo served in for many years as a bishop and as a missionary. Leo thanked everyone for their good wishes. A band played a happy birthday

song for him. He thanked his parents and for -- and to everyone who was praying for him on his birthday.

Now, Leo is 70, which makes him young by papal standards. His two predecessors were several years older than him when they took up the post.

It's not clear if Leo was celebrating on his birth or having a party, but he did receive a cake on Saturday from the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy

Sea, Brian Burch, who bought him a chocolate cake from Portillo's, the restaurant chain which is headquartered in Chicago, of course, Leo's home

city and where he grew up.

Now, Leo's birthday came just after a historic, one of its kind Vatican concert, which was directed by Pharrell Williams and Andrea Bocelli. The

concert took place in St. Peter's Square on Saturday night. There were performances from Jennifer Hudson, from John Legend, from Teddy Swims, a

gathering that was very much a celebratory one. There was a drone show, which was spectacular above St. Peter's Basilica.

It was the culmination of a gathering in the Vatican for human fraternity, which focusing on a more humane and peaceful world, there were discussions

on a whole range of topics, including artificial intelligence.

Now, Leo's birthday fell on a Sunday. That meant he couldn't have a day off. And in the evening, he was due to celebrate mass at the Roman Basilica

of St. Paul outside the walls, a mass to commemorate the witnesses and martyrs of the Christian faith in the 21st century.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:55:00]

SOARES: Thank you, Chris. And finally, this hour, when you hear the word runaway, you might be expecting to see troubled youth, of course. Well,

these Austrian escapees might surprise you. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SISTER RITA, AUSTRIAN NUN (through translator): I am filled with immense joy and gratitude in my heart that I can be back again in our familiar

buildings and our so-called cloister and all around it, that I can go back to the children again if we are allowed to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Sister Rita there. These nuns might be in their 80s, but they aren't letting old age slow them down. Oh, no. They have been on the run,

escaping from a church-run retirement home and breaking into their old convent. Rest assured, they didn't do it alone. They were helped along the

way by former students, as well as sympathetic villagers who wanted to see them back in the place they call home. Good on them.

That does it for us for this evening. Thanks very much for your company. Do stay right here. "What We Know" of Max Foster is up next. I shall see you

tomorrow.

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