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Pope John Paul II on Fast Track to Sainthood; Anniversary of Battle of Trafalgar

Aired June 28, 2005 - 14:30   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," a U.S. military helicopter crashes in Afghanistan. U.S. sources tell CNN that as many as two dozen military personnel may have been on the Chinook chopper when it went down. Rescuers are trying to reach the crash site in the rugged region just along the Afghan/Pakistani border.
It's the fourth day of work for a group of Texas specialists looking for Natalee Holloway in Aruba. Three men remain in custody in the case, but none has been charged. Holloway's mother says she's devastated the father of one of the suspects was released from jail on Sunday.

NASA's administrator says Space Shuttle Discovery is set to lift off as planned next month. Michael Griffin tells the House Science Committee he'll review flight readiness reports for a final time, but he says he sees nothing in them that would prevent the shuttle's return to flight.

Get CNN's most popular video of the day at CNN.com. Just click on the "video" link. It's a whole new way to experience the power of CNN video, and guess what? It's free.

The late Pope John Paul II is on the fast track to possible sainthood. The Roman Catholic Church launched the beatification process today, the first step toward sainthood, just three months after his death.

CNN Vatican analyst John Allen joins me to explain the process and what must happen before John Paul is declared a saint. Good to see you.

JOHN ALLEN, CNN VATICAN ANALYST: Hi, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, I want to ask you, because Mother Teresa was sort of put on the fast track, and it -- yet John Paul, it's moving a little faster. You would think, just out of respect, right, that Mother Teresa -- because she's not -- has she been canonized yet? Did he canonize her when he...

ALLEN: No. She was beatified in October 2003.

PHILLIPS: Right, OK, good, I just wanted to double-check that. So you would think Mother Teresa and then maybe John Paul, right?

ALLEN: Well, I don't know that it's a sprint to the finish line, but what is clear is that there is a determination to try to move John Paul ahead as quickly as possible. Of course, what happened with Mother Teresa is that actually, some time passed between her death and John Paul's decision to waive the five year waiting period.

In this case, however, Pope Benedict XVI made the waiver just a month after the death of John Paul II. And of course, they've empaneled the judges and all the other officials in the process tonight. In fact, that ceremony is going on even as we speak. And I think the determination is here to move quick. That of course, in response to what -- the reading here is that this is the overwhelming grassroots sentiment of the Catholic people, that John Paul II be declared a saint.

PHILLIPS: Now, of course, there are many more steps besides the beatification. Then you've to prove the miracles and then move into sainthood. For those that are not Catholic, John, explain the importance of the miracles and how this is taken very seriously. There is actually a group of individuals in the Vatican that investigate these miracles as people write in and say, I prayed to Pope John Paul II and this is what he did for me.

ALLEN: Right. In fact, this is a three-stage process. The first thing that has to happen is that the candidates's life has to be examined in great detail, which means they'll be hearing oral evidence from dozens, probably tens of dozens of witnesses, that knew John Paul during his life, both as Karol Wojtyla in Poland and then later as the pope here in Rome.

They'll also be studying all of his writing. And the point of this is to make sure that he lived a life of exemplary holiness, what they call in technical Vatican argot, the heroic virtue. Once that's established, then they will move to stage of beatification. And for that, you have to establish a miracle. And then, to be formally canonized, that is, declared a saint, you have to another miracles.

And you're right, they take these miracles very, very seriously. The -- normally, in about 99 percent of the cases, it's a healing of some kind. And in order to count, the healing has to be instantaneous, it has to complete, it has to lasting, and there has to be no other scientific explanation for it. And there's actually a panel of physicians, of medical doctors in the Vatican who will review these cases. And then once they've sign off on it, it has go to a panel of theologians, who will also review it's kind of spiritual side.

And then eventually, the pope himself has to approve it. That's why normally speaking, you know, you're talking a question of years. In the case of Mother Teresa, from the waiver of the five year waiting period to her beatification, it was four years.

PHILLIPS: Now, John, I remember doing a story on St. Katharine Drexel, when she was canonized. And her miracles, people wrote in talking about how they prayed to restore their hearing. And these miracles were investigated and, indeed, proven the doctors believed they were medical miracles. And she became a saint.

Has anybody written in, that you know of, or told of any stories with similar cases to the type of miracle that maybe they've been praying to John Paul about and, well, it's come forward?

ALLEN: Yes, you know, in most cases, Kyra, the problem is, you can wait years, in some cases decades or even centuries for a miracle report. In this cause, however, it's precisely the opposite problem. They've got an avalanche of reports, so they have to sort through and pick the best one.

Lot of stories circulated during John Paul's life. Probably the most famous of a 6-year-old Mexican boy who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. And his family believes that he was healed after meeting the pope on a 1990 trip to Mexico. But, of course, that doesn't count in this case, because the miracle has to have taken place after the candidate's death. The point of the miracle, after all, is to prove that this person is already in heaven, interceding with God on someone's behalf.

And as you say, the organizers of this cause have collected all sorts of causes. They've actually sort of gone high-tech. They now have a very snazzy Web site. And they're getting about e-mails a day with all sorts of accounts.

I'll just give you one. There is a gentleman from Poland who has written in, believing that his wife, after a long period of infertility, actually became pregnant after and conceived a child after having prayed to John Paul II.

So what's they'll do is, they will pick through all of these reports, trying to find the one that best meets those criteria, laid out a minute ago, and then let that be the one that carries it forward.

PHILLIPS: Well, John, you just gave me another great segment idea. Do me a favor, continue to monitor all those e-mails and we'll talk about these alleged miracles that are coming forward. We'll talk about it some more. Is that a deal?

ALLEN: You bet. It's a deal.

PHILLIPS: OK, John Allen, live from Rome, thank you so much.

Well, it was one of the most successful Navy battles in history, but efforts to put a diplomatic face on the celebration of its 200th anniversary may be pushing the envelope of political correctness. Live pictures right now. We're talking about the Battle of Trafalgar, and it allowed Britain to rule the waves for more than a century.

Our Walt Rodgers gives us a history lesson now from Portsmouth, England.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Britain is remembering. Remembering something terribly important happened aboard this war ship 200 years ago, a British naval battle against a combined French and Spanish fleet off Cape Trafalgar that shaped the history of Europe and the world for the next 100 years. This is HMS Victory, a 104-gun ship of the line, state-of-the-art in 1803. 850 men were crammed into these decks waiting to sail through a wall of Napoleon's navy, waiting to fire, to kill, and be killed.

200 years on, Victory is still a commissioned war ship, its commander Frank Nowoskielski.

CMDR. FRANK NOWOSIELSKI, HMS VICTORY: It's difficult to visualize what it must have been like to have been on one of these ships when the guns were going off, the smoke, the noise.

RODGERS (on camera); Here on the poop deck would have been the most dangerous place to be during the Battle of Trafalgar. Imagine enemy cannonballs slamming into these wooden mass and yard arms, sending lethal splinters everywhere.

In the French rigging, over in those ships there, you would have seen snipers pouring down fire, cutting down the British officers on this desk. The commander of the British fleet, Horatio Nelson, was felled by just such a sniper, mortally wounded just a few yards from here on the quarter deck.

(voice-over): Nelson was taken below deck. His tactical audacity had already sent 27 British battle ships slamming into 33 enemy ships, knocking 22 out of commission. No British ship was sunk.

(on camera): Not wanting to offend the French and Spanish, the senior British naval commander decreed there was to be no triumphalism during these commemorations.

(voice-over): But no one is apparently listening. Note this BBC documentary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This year is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, a great British victory.

RODGERS: Even the French are remembering, sending TV crews as well as ships for the fleet revue. And of course, they laugh at the British.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After this battle, we have ten years of French victory on the ground.

RODGERS: Anna Tribe remembers, too, but in a different way. She is Admiral Nelson's great, great, great granddaughter.

ANNA TRIBE, ADMIRAL NELSON'S RELATIVE: It's a privilege to be related to the man. After all, I think he saved this country from Napoleon.

RODGERS: And political correctness aside, Nelson, victory, and Trafalgar remain powerful symbols that shape the British character, even unto today.

Walter Rodgers, HMS Victory. (END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And live pictures, once again, as this reenactment is continuing to carry on. Some 171 ships are crowding the waters off Portsmouth, England, today, commemorating Admiral Nelson's victory. But you'll have to look hard to figure out which side that they're on, because instead of focusing on who won -- that would be the British, by the way, or who lost -- that's the French and the Spanish -- the ships are assigned the colors red and blue so spectators can enjoy the reenacmtment without bruising any egos. There you go. Political correctness at its best.

And you can bet that she knows who won. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II reviewed the international gathering today. The fleet ranges from a high-tech aircraft carrier to historic sailing vessels.

Drawing fire: A new video game where you earn points for killing police and using civilians as human shields. Does "25 To Life" go too far? and is there a connection between what children play and what plays out in real life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Also: New animated video games show lots of action and graphic violence. One in particular, can put a player in the role of a cop killer and that's raising outrage and concern about whether such violent video games breed violence.

CNN's Dan Lothian reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the gritty, animated clip promoting "25 To Life," the latest controversial edition of graphic video games. It's just the kind of extreme action that attracts Sid Shuman, who has been reviewing the game and is an assistant editor at "Game Pro" magazine.

SID SHUMAN, ASSISTANT EDITOR, "GAMEPRO": You take the role of a thug or a police officer. You can play either and basically, you're goal is to sort of climb the ladder. Especially for the thugs, you climb the ladder and wipe out your foes and get, you know, better bling and wear, you know, more elaborate outfits and such.

LOTHIAN: But it's the scenario of earning points for killing cops and using civilians as human shields that is now drawing fire, even before the game is released.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: This is not entertainment.

LOTHIAN: Senator Chuck Schumer wants stores to keep it off their shelves and says companies that make the hardware to play it like Microsoft and Sony, shouldn't license it.

SCHUMER: It's atrocious. You know, Johnny should be learning to read, not how to kill cops and this video game is just -- it's an abomination.

LOTHIAN (on camera): It's the same kind of opposition aimed at other recent video games rated for mature audiences like "Grand Theft Auto," where the action feels real and the play is violent. games like -- but is there any relation to what children play and what gets played out in life.

(voice-over) But is there any connection between what children play and what gets played out in real life. Doctor Michael Rich at Children's Hospital in Boston says early research indicates: Yes.

DR. MICHAEL RICH, CTR. ON MEDIA AND CHILD HEALTH: Kids who play violent games, in particular, tend to have elevated hostility traits, increased aggressive behavior.

LOTHIAN: But in a chat room buzzing with talk about "25 To Life," one person said quote, "it's a video game. Not like I'm going to go out there and get a M-16 and kill cops. Come on now."

Another adds, "... it is incredibly tame by today's standards. It's basically "Counterstrike" with gangs instead of terrorists."

SHUMAN: They've been described as murder simulators. I think that's bunk. I think this is this is just knee-jerk stuff by people who don't understand.

LOTHIAN: In a statement, the game's publisher said,"25 To Life," which will be released in the fall, "will be rated M for mature... and encourages both parents and retailers to enforce the rating system, so that software is sold only to the age-appropriate.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, a pop culture icon is pushing coffee. We're going to sample that story and other business news, ahead on LIVE FROM.

Also: He tossed a phone, now Russell Crowe may be getting slapped with a lawsuit. That's right here.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Plus: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes made quite an entrance at the red carpet last night at the L.A. premiere of "War of the Worlds."

All that and more, when CNN's LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Well Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are turning heads again. For that and other entertainment news, let's going to Sibila Vargas, live in Hollywood. We just can't get enough of these two, can we, Sibila? VARGAS: Yes, no, no. They're just all the talk. Yet another Tomcat sighting. This time, you're wondering where? In Tinseltown. The pair making it to the L.A. premiere in grand, and I mean grand, style. Tom Cruise and fiancee Katie Holmes cruised down the red carpet in a motorcycle. Yes, one of the perks of rolling with Mr. Cruise.

After the grand entrance, the couple spent nearly two hours signing autographs for the fans. The L.A. premiere was the last stop of a whirlwind that included Tokyo, Berlin, Marseilles, Madrid, London and New York. Audiences can finally see what the hype's all about when the film opens tomorrow.

Actor Russell Crowe could be facing some legal problems. The New York Hotel employee who allegedly -- who was allegedly struck with a phone by Crowe is reportedly prepared to slap the actor with a lawsuit. New York's "Daily News" reports the hotel concierge claims that after Crowe threw the phone, gashing his face, Crowe also hurled a ceramic bowl on the work. The suit is likely to seek punitive and compensatory damages. Now, Crowe has apologized for his behavior on "The Late Show With David Letterman."

A former "American Idol" Corey Clark, who accused Paula Abdul of scandalous behavior, is facing some scandal of his own. Clark was cited with a misdemeanor battery charge after allegedly getting into a food fight with record company manager at a hotel in Sacramento, California. Clark and his manager Laura Kathleen Troy were reportedly having breakfast when they started arguing and hurling food and dishes. Clark was ordered to appear to in Sacramento County Superior Court on July 22nd.

And finally, it was a night full of R & B at the 18th Annual ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Awards. The evening's guest of honor at the ceremony were super producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who received the rhythm and soul heritage award. Also on hand to accept an award was producer Jermaine Dupri, who was named songwriter of the year. Dupri shared the honor with Alicia Keys, who also accepted the songwriter of the year award. Keys also collected the award for top R & B hip hop song of the year for "If I Ain't Got You."

Kyra, that's the news from Hollywood. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: I was waiting for you to start singing again. All right, Sibila Vargas.

VARGAS: Almost, almost.

PHILLIPS: All right, talk to you later. Well, for days we watched the search for a missing 11-year-old Cub Scout in Utah. And when he was found alive and safe, on some level, many people shared his parent's relief. Now the family is doing fine. Brennan Hawkins and his parents talked to CNN's Larry King last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Brennan, did you know, Brennan, did you know that everybody was worried about you?

B. HAWKINS: Yes.

J. HAWKINS: You didn't then. When you were in the mountains, did you know?

B. HAWKINS: Not really.

KING: Have you been eating well now that you're back, Brennan?

B. HAWKINS: Yeah, sort of.

TOBY HAWKINS: One night, Larry, he ate -- one night, he ate seven pieces of pizza. He's eaten a variety of candy that he loves. And you know, he's back on track. He's eating very well.

B. HAWKINS: That's true.

KING: Would you go camping again, Brennan?

B. HAWKINS: Oh, yeah. It's just not in the same area.

KING: Not in the same -- are you going to be a Boy Scout too?

B. HAWKINS: Yeah.

KING: What do you want to be when you grow up?

B. HAWKINS: I have no clue.

KING: An honest 11-year-old.

You got any girlfriends, Brennan?

B. HAWKINS: Let's just talk about later.

J. HAWKINS: All right.

TOBY HAWKINS: That's good, Brennan.

KING: He's pretty cool.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, a volunteer found Brennan Hawkins last week, four days after he disappeared. Well, this is going to make quite a few people angry. If you want to board a subway train in New York, you better toss the coffee cup.

And two shark attacks in three days along Florida's Panhandle. Should vacationers change their plans and avoid the area? We're going to the sheriff of Gold County, when LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Now in the News," chopper down in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. Military sources tell CNN it was a CH-47 on a transport mission. Rescue forces still trying to reach that crash site. More from the Pentagon in just a moment.

A possible court martial for a Marine instructor. It involves the drowning of Jason Tharp in February. An investigation has concluded that the instructor ignored or failed to recognize signs that the young recruit couldn't go on. His spokesman at Parris Island says the next step is a hearing.

Not guilty. Richard Scrushy, fired as head of HealthSouth Corporation, is cleared of all federal charges in the company's fraud case. Scrushy, who called his legal battle two years of torture, still faces a number of civil suits by angry investors.

So long to a Southern storyteller. Shelby Foote was 88 when he died last night. The novelist and historian is best-remembered for his multi-volume work on the Civil War. It took him 20 years to complete.

And now CNN.com is offering a whole new way to get the headlines. Just log on to our Web site and click on "watch" to check out the most popular stories, everything from politics and sports to entertainment.

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