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Thousands Attend Funeral for Pope; Poland Mourns for Beloved Pope; Billy Graham's Daughter Reflects on Pope's Influence
Aired April 08, 2005 - 13:00 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.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "NEWS FROM CNN": I'll be back later today in a special time, 3:30 p.m. Eastern. Judy Woodruff and I will host -- co-host a 2 1/2 hour special, looking back the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II.
Until then, thanks very much for watching "NEWS FROM CNN." I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. LIVE FROM with Kyra Phillips and Carol Lin, that's coming up right now.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: The faithful at the Vatican shout, "Santo, santo," an outpouring of admiration for Pope John Paul II as millions of people gather around the world, from around the world to observe the funeral.
CAROL LIN, CO-HOST: And did you note the simple coffin for the man who touched the lives of millions? This hour, you're going to hear from the people in Rome who saw that ceremony.
PHILLIPS: And the pope's beloved homeland. We're going to go live to Krakow, Poland, where people have lost a hero for their freedom as well as their faith.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, so glad you're with us today. I'm Kyra Phillips.
LIN: And I'm Carol Lin in for Miles O'Brien. CNN's LIVE FROM brings you extensive coverage of the pope's funeral.
Well, it was remarkable to watch some of the services this morning. Because it was a eulogy, it was a liturgy, a farewell and a fanfare. It brought together presidents and royalty and paupers and just regular folks and all the great and all the good.
PHILLIPS: And this morning's funeral of Pope John Paul II, the pope of the people, was witnessed by more people than any funeral in history.
LIN: A hundred thousand.
PHILLIPS: A hundred thousand.
LIN: Yes. Right there.
PHILLIPS: St. Peter's Square.
LIN: In fact, several times that many in the surrounding streets, and tens, maybe hundreds of millions watching on television.
PHILLIPS: Somewhere amid the crimson robes of the College of Cardinals, the next pope known only to God himself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
(MUSIC)
CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER, DEAN, COLLEGE OF CARDINALS (through translator): Brothers and sisters, present here in St. Peter's Square is the very spirit of Christ in the ways of silver, in the roads of Rome, especially in this huge crowd, which is silent and in prayer.
From the moment he was a young student, John Paul, Karol Wojtyla, was a great lover of literature and poetry. Working in a chemical factory surrounded by the Nazi terror, he heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Follow me."
In 1978, Cardinal Wojtyla heeded once again the voice of the Lord. He renewed his dialogue with Peter. And, as it says in the gospel, "Dost thou love me, Simon, son of Peter? In that case, feed my flock."
The archbishop of Krakow, he asks him the same question in the name of Christ, and Karol Wojtyla replies in exactly the way as Simon, son of Peter.
The life of Christ was the dominant feature of our beloved Holy Father, and he who has seen him pray and preach knows that full well. And it is thanks to his being profoundly entrenched in Christ we can be sure that our beloved pope is now at the window of the house of his father, and he sees us and he blesses us.
He's looking at us and blessing us.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): With him and in him in the unity of the Holy Spirit. It is in the spirit of the resurrected Christ, give each other a sign of peace.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The love of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Christ has risen from the dead, destroying death by death, and to those in the tombs he has given life.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And after the public ceremonies, the Vatican released these pictures of the private burial at the pope's final resting place in the crypt, underneath the altar at St. Peter's Basilica.
While his body lies here, his homeland of Poland mourns. We're going to go live to Krakow right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Welcome back to LIVE FROM. In fact, we're showing you live pictures now, outside of Chicago, where the largest Polish community outside of Warsaw has gathered in the streets.
You are watching a procession that stretches six city blocks. They are a group of Polish worshipers who are celebrating the life of Pope John Paul II on the day of his funeral. A huge congregation there, proceeding from the Holy Trinity Mission and spilling out into the streets just outside of Chicago.
One of the witnesses there told the Associated Press that this was a pope who gave us courage when we need it. Pope John Paul II, born in Poland, and the Polish people of this congregation of the Holy Trinity Mission, celebrating his life in a procession six blocks long.
And a remarkable life, indeed, as this pope is inspiring so many people of so many different religious differences. Many of them who actually experienced the flash point of conflict around the world but came together on this one day. Factions and dogma fade into the background as people of all these different faiths pause to mark the passing of Pope John Paul II.
Take a look at the scene out of Nairobi, Kenya. Mourners packed this basilica to pay tribute to a pope who came to their country three times. Africa has the fastest growing Roman Catholic population in the world. And in many African nations, state television broadcast the pope's funeral live.
Now, Japan officially stamped out Christianity in the 17th Century, but the country still has about a half million Catholics, and many of them gathered to watch the funeral at St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo, where they were joined by Buddhists and Shintoists.
And even in Iraq, which has a tiny Christian minority, churches were packed. Catholics were joined by Muslims as they gathered to watch the funeral mass.
Although technically hundreds of miles away from the Vatican this morning, millions of Poles were there in spirit for the funeral mass of Pope John Paul II. You just saw the scene just outside of Chicago.
Not only beloved as a man of faith, the pope is revered for what he did to bring freedom to his homeland. CNN's Chris Burns joins us now from Krakow, a city that was never far from the pope's heart. Chris, as we were watching here in the United States, this procession in Chicago, which has a huge Polish population there. Clearly for people of Polish descent, this man was more than just a man of God?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Carol. We've seen this in this last week. We've been here an entire week, and every day, every night, we've seen tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of people, taking to the streets with candles, with flowers, to show -- to show just how they felt about this man, who in this city rose from priest all the way to archbishop and cardinal.
And here in this grassy area just on the edge of Krakow is where millions, altogether millions of people came to see the pope during his 26 years here, 26 years as pope. And now they came back again today, hundreds of thousands of them, in respect and gratitude.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURNS (voice-over): Across Karol Wojtyla's homeland, a nation comes to a standstill, grieving together, one last time. Watching the funeral for their countryman, whose life, struggling through the loss of his family, through Nazi occupation and Soviet domination, through an assassination attempt, was in many ways an embodiment of their modern history. By preaching love and compassion, he moved his own people to change their world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Paul II give us freedom.
BURNS: For many of the young, their reason to be there was even simpler, even if they didn't follow his preachings on birth control and other issues.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all want to be with our papa, because we love him.
BURNS: For most of the hundreds of thousands gathered here, Wojtyla is the only pope they've known, who had been with them through times of trial and triumph.
With both Polish and Vatican flags, they pay tribute to them as their spiritual leader and national liberator.
(on camera) This park is rich with memories of Karol Wojtyla, from the time he first came as pope in 1979 under communist rule, bringing with him the spark that lit the pro-democracy movement. To his last visit in 2002, when he and his flock came here to bid each other good-bye.
(voice-over) Poland is now a land that has lost its benevolent father figure, where many say they feel very alone. Though now, a country that, thanks in part to Karol Wojtyla, for the first time in its thousand-year history, is fully free, democratic, and at peace.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BURNS: You know, I spoke to a Polish American woman here who said that her feeling here after the pope's death is quite similar to how she felt after September 11 in America, this feeling among solidarity of people, of helping each other.
In fact, as we speak, there are thousands of people marching, football fans over here, among teams that used to kill each other, and now they're saying they would like to reconcile among each other because of the pope's death.
Back to you, Carol.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: That's interesting, Chris. A man who clearly brought different people together. Thank you very much, Chris Burns reporting live from Krakow -- Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Well, Pope John Paul II's religion was so much more than just custom and creed. In every definition of the word, he was spiritual. In a world where faith can often lead to friction, the pope told all of us that religions should not divide.
We want to talk to yet another one of the faithful touched deeply by this man of God. Anne Graham Lotz, best selling author and founder of Angel Ministry, joins us now from Rome. Her father, the Reverend Billy Graham, asked his daughter to represent the family today at the pope's funeral.
Anne, it's great to see you.
ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ, FOUNDER, ANGEL MINISTRY: Thank you so much, Kyra. I'm so glad to be with you.
PHILLIPS: Well, it must have been a powerful experience. What was it like to attend the funeral?
LOTZ: You know, it was very moving, and I was amazed they gave me such a good seat. I was on the third row from the very front, right on the platform by the altar, so I could see anything.
You know, I don't know Italian and I don't know Latin so I really didn't know what was going on. And I think it was my first mass. I can't remember attending a mass before.
But you know, Kyra, what struck me was the quietness of the crowd. I don't know -- you know better than I do, I'm sure, how many people were there today, but -- and you know, maybe half a million or more. But they were silent, respectful. At times they applauded in appropriate places.
And you know they have religious leaders of every religion, you have world leaders and these people in such peace. And I was struck by the crucifix by Pope John Paul's coffin, and I thought when the cross is central, you know, and the focus is on Jesus and his death and resurrection, there's a peace. And I wondered if God didn't have a message for the whole world this morning, that if we would look to him, there would be peace.
PHILLIPS: Well, Anne, I'm not surprised you had a good seat, because your father, Reverend Billy Graham, had an extraordinary -- extraordinary relationship with the pope.
I even, and I hope I correctly quote him that he said that he called Pope John Paul II unquestionably the most influential voice for morality and peace in the last 100 years. Now I know a lot of people would say that about your father. He said it about the pope.
Tell us what was so remarkable about the pope's voice for morality and peace.
LOTZ: I think the pope is someone who -- he believed in Jesus. He believed in the scriptures. He took his message of hope and peace in -- through faith and Jesus Christ outside the Vatican walls. He was a man who loved the people.
And he was a man of character. You know, there's just no substitute for real character that's born in affliction and pain and persecution, and he came through that in Nazi occupied Poland. And I think it showed in his maturity, the depth of his character.
And even though, you know, as Protestants we might disagree with some of his theology, all of us would have to respect him as a person, as a leader. And what he did to bridge the gaps between Protestants and Catholics and Jews and Catholics and Catholics and other elements of society and the world, I think was a wonderful thing, and I just applaud it. I think that they -- we buried a great leader.
PHILLIPS: Well, point well made. I mean, no matter what we believe, what do you think the pope's life exemplified, specifics now, on how we should all live our life? No matter what our faith, religion, spirituality, even agnostics?
LOTZ: Well, he was a man who kept his focus on what he believed God's calling was in his life. And I think that we need a sense of purpose. And of course, the Bible tells us that we were created by God and for God and that God has a purpose for your life and for mine, and that our fulfillment and satisfaction in life is found when we come in line with that purpose.
And I think the pope was someone who found God's calling in his life, and he fulfilled what he believed was God's purpose for him.
I see my father in the same light. And I think it's interesting that these two men, who are very similar in age, also had Parkinson's Disease, and yet some of their weaknesses and physical handicaps didn't hinder him because of that strong sense of calling.
And I think it's a wonderful thing when we live our lives for something beyond ourselves. And for myself I try to live my life to please God and live my life according to his purpose for me, and it gives your life a depth and a focus when sometime circumstances are contrary. PHILLIPS: It's interesting you make the parallel, the pope with Parkinson's, also your father. The pope remaining extremely strong, using his suffering as a strong message. Your father continues to exemplify a very strong message, too.
Not only how we should live our life, but there was a message definitely in the past couple of weeks, even couple of months, about how we should perceive death?
LOTZ: That's right. You know, I thought of that today in the funeral. It was such a meaningful celebration of death. And one reason we can celebrate is because Jesus Christ was not only crucified on the cross to take away our sin, but he was raised from the dead, so that we know that this life is not all there is.
And this pope is someone who believed in heaven, and he believed that when he died he was going there. The wonderful thing, in Rome I've heard people say the Holy Father is in heaven and everybody is so confident that the pope is in heaven. And I think it's because he was such a good man.
But the wonderful good news of the gospel, Kyra, is that anyone can go to heaven when they place their faith in Jesus, if they would confess their sin, tell God they're sorry, ask him to forgive them, invite him to come into their hearts as their savior and lord. They can be born again and part of their birthright into God's family is that they receive eternal life, which includes heaven when they die.
So I know when I die, I'm going to close my eyes to this life and open them to the face of Jesus, and it's a wonderful confidence I have that anyone can have it.
PHILLIPS: You know what's interesting, and I really want to ask you about this, is that we have talked more about faith, religion, spirituality, what we believe, family values, more in the past couple of weeks than I think I've ever talked about here on CNN. I think that right there is a pretty -- pretty amazing message.
LOTZ: I think so also, Kyra. And I wonder, you know, there is a God; there is one true living God. And could it be that he's trying to get our attention? Could it be with all the wars and rumors of wars and the things that are happening that are so discouraging and depressing in the United States, as well as around the world, could God be saying, "Look up"?
You know, he has purpose for us, he has life. He has hope. He has peace. He has meaning. But we need to get right with God. And when we're right with God, and I think that was exemplified today. If you're right with God, then you're going to be right with each other. And he would bring peace into the world if we have peace in our hearts with God.
PHILLIPS: Anne Graham Lotz, what a pleasure talking to you today. And I look forward, I hear through the rumorville that you've got a new book coming out in February. So I hope you'll come back and talk with me. LOTZ: Thank you so much, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Anne.
LOTZ: God bless you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Millions of people pay final respects to the pope. Next on LIVE FROM, we'll go live to Rome for insights into the world's largest funeral gathering in modern times.
Later on LIVE FROM...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought he was sent by God to heal the relationship between Catholics and Jews.
PHILLIPS: The pope's conductor on making music for John Paul, and how the Holy Father deepened his own Jewish faith.
Later on LIVE FROM, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles's wedding. A royal watcher shows you what to watch for at tomorrow's big event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 8, 2005 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "NEWS FROM CNN": I'll be back later today in a special time, 3:30 p.m. Eastern. Judy Woodruff and I will host -- co-host a 2 1/2 hour special, looking back the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II.
Until then, thanks very much for watching "NEWS FROM CNN." I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. LIVE FROM with Kyra Phillips and Carol Lin, that's coming up right now.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST: The faithful at the Vatican shout, "Santo, santo," an outpouring of admiration for Pope John Paul II as millions of people gather around the world, from around the world to observe the funeral.
CAROL LIN, CO-HOST: And did you note the simple coffin for the man who touched the lives of millions? This hour, you're going to hear from the people in Rome who saw that ceremony.
PHILLIPS: And the pope's beloved homeland. We're going to go live to Krakow, Poland, where people have lost a hero for their freedom as well as their faith.
From the CNN center in Atlanta, so glad you're with us today. I'm Kyra Phillips.
LIN: And I'm Carol Lin in for Miles O'Brien. CNN's LIVE FROM brings you extensive coverage of the pope's funeral.
Well, it was remarkable to watch some of the services this morning. Because it was a eulogy, it was a liturgy, a farewell and a fanfare. It brought together presidents and royalty and paupers and just regular folks and all the great and all the good.
PHILLIPS: And this morning's funeral of Pope John Paul II, the pope of the people, was witnessed by more people than any funeral in history.
LIN: A hundred thousand.
PHILLIPS: A hundred thousand.
LIN: Yes. Right there.
PHILLIPS: St. Peter's Square.
LIN: In fact, several times that many in the surrounding streets, and tens, maybe hundreds of millions watching on television.
PHILLIPS: Somewhere amid the crimson robes of the College of Cardinals, the next pope known only to God himself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
(MUSIC)
CARDINAL JOSEPH RATZINGER, DEAN, COLLEGE OF CARDINALS (through translator): Brothers and sisters, present here in St. Peter's Square is the very spirit of Christ in the ways of silver, in the roads of Rome, especially in this huge crowd, which is silent and in prayer.
From the moment he was a young student, John Paul, Karol Wojtyla, was a great lover of literature and poetry. Working in a chemical factory surrounded by the Nazi terror, he heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Follow me."
In 1978, Cardinal Wojtyla heeded once again the voice of the Lord. He renewed his dialogue with Peter. And, as it says in the gospel, "Dost thou love me, Simon, son of Peter? In that case, feed my flock."
The archbishop of Krakow, he asks him the same question in the name of Christ, and Karol Wojtyla replies in exactly the way as Simon, son of Peter.
The life of Christ was the dominant feature of our beloved Holy Father, and he who has seen him pray and preach knows that full well. And it is thanks to his being profoundly entrenched in Christ we can be sure that our beloved pope is now at the window of the house of his father, and he sees us and he blesses us.
He's looking at us and blessing us.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): With him and in him in the unity of the Holy Spirit. It is in the spirit of the resurrected Christ, give each other a sign of peace.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The love of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Christ has risen from the dead, destroying death by death, and to those in the tombs he has given life.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And after the public ceremonies, the Vatican released these pictures of the private burial at the pope's final resting place in the crypt, underneath the altar at St. Peter's Basilica.
While his body lies here, his homeland of Poland mourns. We're going to go live to Krakow right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Welcome back to LIVE FROM. In fact, we're showing you live pictures now, outside of Chicago, where the largest Polish community outside of Warsaw has gathered in the streets.
You are watching a procession that stretches six city blocks. They are a group of Polish worshipers who are celebrating the life of Pope John Paul II on the day of his funeral. A huge congregation there, proceeding from the Holy Trinity Mission and spilling out into the streets just outside of Chicago.
One of the witnesses there told the Associated Press that this was a pope who gave us courage when we need it. Pope John Paul II, born in Poland, and the Polish people of this congregation of the Holy Trinity Mission, celebrating his life in a procession six blocks long.
And a remarkable life, indeed, as this pope is inspiring so many people of so many different religious differences. Many of them who actually experienced the flash point of conflict around the world but came together on this one day. Factions and dogma fade into the background as people of all these different faiths pause to mark the passing of Pope John Paul II.
Take a look at the scene out of Nairobi, Kenya. Mourners packed this basilica to pay tribute to a pope who came to their country three times. Africa has the fastest growing Roman Catholic population in the world. And in many African nations, state television broadcast the pope's funeral live.
Now, Japan officially stamped out Christianity in the 17th Century, but the country still has about a half million Catholics, and many of them gathered to watch the funeral at St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo, where they were joined by Buddhists and Shintoists.
And even in Iraq, which has a tiny Christian minority, churches were packed. Catholics were joined by Muslims as they gathered to watch the funeral mass.
Although technically hundreds of miles away from the Vatican this morning, millions of Poles were there in spirit for the funeral mass of Pope John Paul II. You just saw the scene just outside of Chicago.
Not only beloved as a man of faith, the pope is revered for what he did to bring freedom to his homeland. CNN's Chris Burns joins us now from Krakow, a city that was never far from the pope's heart. Chris, as we were watching here in the United States, this procession in Chicago, which has a huge Polish population there. Clearly for people of Polish descent, this man was more than just a man of God?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Carol. We've seen this in this last week. We've been here an entire week, and every day, every night, we've seen tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of people, taking to the streets with candles, with flowers, to show -- to show just how they felt about this man, who in this city rose from priest all the way to archbishop and cardinal.
And here in this grassy area just on the edge of Krakow is where millions, altogether millions of people came to see the pope during his 26 years here, 26 years as pope. And now they came back again today, hundreds of thousands of them, in respect and gratitude.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURNS (voice-over): Across Karol Wojtyla's homeland, a nation comes to a standstill, grieving together, one last time. Watching the funeral for their countryman, whose life, struggling through the loss of his family, through Nazi occupation and Soviet domination, through an assassination attempt, was in many ways an embodiment of their modern history. By preaching love and compassion, he moved his own people to change their world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Paul II give us freedom.
BURNS: For many of the young, their reason to be there was even simpler, even if they didn't follow his preachings on birth control and other issues.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all want to be with our papa, because we love him.
BURNS: For most of the hundreds of thousands gathered here, Wojtyla is the only pope they've known, who had been with them through times of trial and triumph.
With both Polish and Vatican flags, they pay tribute to them as their spiritual leader and national liberator.
(on camera) This park is rich with memories of Karol Wojtyla, from the time he first came as pope in 1979 under communist rule, bringing with him the spark that lit the pro-democracy movement. To his last visit in 2002, when he and his flock came here to bid each other good-bye.
(voice-over) Poland is now a land that has lost its benevolent father figure, where many say they feel very alone. Though now, a country that, thanks in part to Karol Wojtyla, for the first time in its thousand-year history, is fully free, democratic, and at peace.
(END VIDEOTAPE) BURNS: You know, I spoke to a Polish American woman here who said that her feeling here after the pope's death is quite similar to how she felt after September 11 in America, this feeling among solidarity of people, of helping each other.
In fact, as we speak, there are thousands of people marching, football fans over here, among teams that used to kill each other, and now they're saying they would like to reconcile among each other because of the pope's death.
Back to you, Carol.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: That's interesting, Chris. A man who clearly brought different people together. Thank you very much, Chris Burns reporting live from Krakow -- Kyra?
PHILLIPS: Well, Pope John Paul II's religion was so much more than just custom and creed. In every definition of the word, he was spiritual. In a world where faith can often lead to friction, the pope told all of us that religions should not divide.
We want to talk to yet another one of the faithful touched deeply by this man of God. Anne Graham Lotz, best selling author and founder of Angel Ministry, joins us now from Rome. Her father, the Reverend Billy Graham, asked his daughter to represent the family today at the pope's funeral.
Anne, it's great to see you.
ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ, FOUNDER, ANGEL MINISTRY: Thank you so much, Kyra. I'm so glad to be with you.
PHILLIPS: Well, it must have been a powerful experience. What was it like to attend the funeral?
LOTZ: You know, it was very moving, and I was amazed they gave me such a good seat. I was on the third row from the very front, right on the platform by the altar, so I could see anything.
You know, I don't know Italian and I don't know Latin so I really didn't know what was going on. And I think it was my first mass. I can't remember attending a mass before.
But you know, Kyra, what struck me was the quietness of the crowd. I don't know -- you know better than I do, I'm sure, how many people were there today, but -- and you know, maybe half a million or more. But they were silent, respectful. At times they applauded in appropriate places.
And you know they have religious leaders of every religion, you have world leaders and these people in such peace. And I was struck by the crucifix by Pope John Paul's coffin, and I thought when the cross is central, you know, and the focus is on Jesus and his death and resurrection, there's a peace. And I wondered if God didn't have a message for the whole world this morning, that if we would look to him, there would be peace.
PHILLIPS: Well, Anne, I'm not surprised you had a good seat, because your father, Reverend Billy Graham, had an extraordinary -- extraordinary relationship with the pope.
I even, and I hope I correctly quote him that he said that he called Pope John Paul II unquestionably the most influential voice for morality and peace in the last 100 years. Now I know a lot of people would say that about your father. He said it about the pope.
Tell us what was so remarkable about the pope's voice for morality and peace.
LOTZ: I think the pope is someone who -- he believed in Jesus. He believed in the scriptures. He took his message of hope and peace in -- through faith and Jesus Christ outside the Vatican walls. He was a man who loved the people.
And he was a man of character. You know, there's just no substitute for real character that's born in affliction and pain and persecution, and he came through that in Nazi occupied Poland. And I think it showed in his maturity, the depth of his character.
And even though, you know, as Protestants we might disagree with some of his theology, all of us would have to respect him as a person, as a leader. And what he did to bridge the gaps between Protestants and Catholics and Jews and Catholics and Catholics and other elements of society and the world, I think was a wonderful thing, and I just applaud it. I think that they -- we buried a great leader.
PHILLIPS: Well, point well made. I mean, no matter what we believe, what do you think the pope's life exemplified, specifics now, on how we should all live our life? No matter what our faith, religion, spirituality, even agnostics?
LOTZ: Well, he was a man who kept his focus on what he believed God's calling was in his life. And I think that we need a sense of purpose. And of course, the Bible tells us that we were created by God and for God and that God has a purpose for your life and for mine, and that our fulfillment and satisfaction in life is found when we come in line with that purpose.
And I think the pope was someone who found God's calling in his life, and he fulfilled what he believed was God's purpose for him.
I see my father in the same light. And I think it's interesting that these two men, who are very similar in age, also had Parkinson's Disease, and yet some of their weaknesses and physical handicaps didn't hinder him because of that strong sense of calling.
And I think it's a wonderful thing when we live our lives for something beyond ourselves. And for myself I try to live my life to please God and live my life according to his purpose for me, and it gives your life a depth and a focus when sometime circumstances are contrary. PHILLIPS: It's interesting you make the parallel, the pope with Parkinson's, also your father. The pope remaining extremely strong, using his suffering as a strong message. Your father continues to exemplify a very strong message, too.
Not only how we should live our life, but there was a message definitely in the past couple of weeks, even couple of months, about how we should perceive death?
LOTZ: That's right. You know, I thought of that today in the funeral. It was such a meaningful celebration of death. And one reason we can celebrate is because Jesus Christ was not only crucified on the cross to take away our sin, but he was raised from the dead, so that we know that this life is not all there is.
And this pope is someone who believed in heaven, and he believed that when he died he was going there. The wonderful thing, in Rome I've heard people say the Holy Father is in heaven and everybody is so confident that the pope is in heaven. And I think it's because he was such a good man.
But the wonderful good news of the gospel, Kyra, is that anyone can go to heaven when they place their faith in Jesus, if they would confess their sin, tell God they're sorry, ask him to forgive them, invite him to come into their hearts as their savior and lord. They can be born again and part of their birthright into God's family is that they receive eternal life, which includes heaven when they die.
So I know when I die, I'm going to close my eyes to this life and open them to the face of Jesus, and it's a wonderful confidence I have that anyone can have it.
PHILLIPS: You know what's interesting, and I really want to ask you about this, is that we have talked more about faith, religion, spirituality, what we believe, family values, more in the past couple of weeks than I think I've ever talked about here on CNN. I think that right there is a pretty -- pretty amazing message.
LOTZ: I think so also, Kyra. And I wonder, you know, there is a God; there is one true living God. And could it be that he's trying to get our attention? Could it be with all the wars and rumors of wars and the things that are happening that are so discouraging and depressing in the United States, as well as around the world, could God be saying, "Look up"?
You know, he has purpose for us, he has life. He has hope. He has peace. He has meaning. But we need to get right with God. And when we're right with God, and I think that was exemplified today. If you're right with God, then you're going to be right with each other. And he would bring peace into the world if we have peace in our hearts with God.
PHILLIPS: Anne Graham Lotz, what a pleasure talking to you today. And I look forward, I hear through the rumorville that you've got a new book coming out in February. So I hope you'll come back and talk with me. LOTZ: Thank you so much, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Anne.
LOTZ: God bless you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Millions of people pay final respects to the pope. Next on LIVE FROM, we'll go live to Rome for insights into the world's largest funeral gathering in modern times.
Later on LIVE FROM...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought he was sent by God to heal the relationship between Catholics and Jews.
PHILLIPS: The pope's conductor on making music for John Paul, and how the Holy Father deepened his own Jewish faith.
Later on LIVE FROM, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles's wedding. A royal watcher shows you what to watch for at tomorrow's big event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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