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Pope Will Celebrate Mass This Morning in Philadelphia; Leadership Battle After Boehner Says He'll Resign; Interview with Congressman Ted Yoho; Pope Will Celebrate Mass This Morning in Philadelphia; Interview with Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired September 26, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:10] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: An emotional and exciting day ahead. We know that for sure, after this memorable visit to New York. Including last night's moving mass at Madison Square Garden. He had a procession through Central Park. It was phenomenal.

But today, he's going to give a message that will strike a different tone on the family and our responsibility to the unborn in particular. What effect will that have on liberals who have been celebrating the pope thus far?

Let's begin our coverage with CNN national correspondent Miguel Marquez live at Independence Hall.

My friend.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What a big day. New York is big, Philly will be bigger. He will come down this market street here, city hall down that way to this cradle of liberty in the place where our democracy began, Independence Hall, a very, very symbolic speech here from the very lectern that Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. In the next couple of days, millions will turn out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANCIS: May the Lord be with you.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Pope Francis departing for the final stop on his U.S. tour after touching so many hearts here in the Big Apple. Now, the people's pope off to the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, where he is expected to draw crowds surpassing a million people.

Like he did at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, the pontiff will start his Philly trip by celebrating mass at the city's cathedral, Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

The pope will then visit Independence Hall the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, here Pope Francis is expected to deliver one of his biggest speeches on immigration and religious freedom to an estimated 40,000 people.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Excitement is really building here in Philadelphia. We saw he had a great sendoff in New York. In a certain sense, the party has yet to begin.

MARQUEZ: The pope ending his day at the world meeting of families the largest of catholic families from around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a once in a lifetime. For the city, it's just free.

MARQUEZ: Pope Francis will lead the closing ceremony on Sunday, his last mass on U.S. soil.

POPE FRANCIS: May the Almighty God bless you.

MARQUEZ: The pontiff expected to draw up to 2 million people, making his Madison Square Garden mass of 20,000 in attendance seem intimate.

"God is in the city", he said Friday, urging them to always remember the forgotten, the sick, the needy, a sentiment he displayed as he walked into the arena, blessing children with special needs, their parents in tears.

POPE FRANCIS: Don't forget to pray for me.

MARQUEZ: Over 100,000 people bore witness to the Catholic Church in his nearly 40-hour New York tour.

People ecstatic to be in his presence, even if for a fleeting moments, like the tens of thousands that lined the streets of Central Park.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ: And now what you are looking at are some of the thousands of law enforcement officials who will be out here to secure the area for the pope. This city of Philadelphia is certainly on lockdown.

I want to point this out to you, guy, though, these are the very first people to show up to see the pope. How are you feeling? Are you excited?

(CHEERS)

MARQUEZ: We're going to hear a lot more of that later in the day. The pope will here around 10:30, goes to mass and will come here to the Independence Hall. What a day. Incredible.

Back to you, Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Miguel. We will be back with you in a bit. Thank you for the reporting my friend.

So, a big moment is when Pope Francis leaves where he is in one of the nuncios, where he has been resting, gets in this car, that Fiat, the helicopter, whatever, especially this time because it's going to be goodbye to the Big Apple. He is expected to leave the papal residence this hour. So, it's going to happen soon.

Let's get CNN's Sara Ganim live at Pier 11 in New York City. That's where the pope is going to take off before boarding a plane at JFK.

Set the scene, my friend.

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Chris.

You know, after a 40-hour whirlwind tour here of New York City, the pope is kind of sneaking out of the Big Apple this morning before everyone wakes up. You can see here the crowds, there are some people that have come to watch him depart on his helicopter. But nothing like when we saw him arrive here a few days ago.

I tell you what is here, though, Chris, and that is security. This road here we are standing on looks down Manhattan, it's closed off in many areas. Also, above us is the FDR highway, which runs down the east, also going to be closed momentarily as the pope arrives, and, of course, you see the coast guard here, the escort of helicopters that will take the pope from here to JFK International Airport, where at 8:40, Chris, he is going to board a flight that will end his tour of New York City and take off to the City of Brotherly Love, to Philadelphia, where he will go to wrap up this leg of there historic trip in Philadelphia -- Chris.

[07:05:18] CUOMO: All right, Sara. Thank you very much.

Very interesting that the pope is going to be riding on those marine helicopters, but he's got to get where he's got to get.

Let's bring in CNN Vatican correspondent Delia Gallagher, and CNN religion commentator, Father Edward Beck, if that's the way to pronounce it?

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: It is, you got it right, for a change.

CUOMO: For a change.

Delia, OK, so, we're looking at a tone change as well as a venue change here. This is what Pope Benedict had agreed to come to on the World Meeting of Families. Full disclosure, my mother spoke here earlier in the week about the need of mentoring in families. Pope Francis is coming here.

This will be different in terms of inflexion points. How so?

GALLAGHER: In terms of his entire trip, of course, we finished with the major speeches in Congress and the U.N. We finish with more of the peace and justice mass, which was last night. And now, we move into the festival for the family. The family was the main reason that the pope was coming.

In terms of his message in general, we know that Pop Francis, when he first became pope, one of the things he said, which actually he got some criticism for was that he didn't want to focus so much and talk so much about the issues of abortion or gay marriage, because people knew where the Catholic Church stood on that. And he did receive criticism from a conservative element in the Catholic Church for saying that, and a bit of confusion.

And so since then, we've seen that in any case, he has mentioned on every occasion the church of traditional teachings on those --

CUOMO: Obliquely, suddenly, with nuance.

GALLAGHER: Well, he's mentioned it in the church language, you know, to protect life from its natural conception, to its natural end and the right for a man and woman the marriage should be between a man and a woman. So that's kind of the church language for those two issues.

So, he has had to reemphasize, he is fully in line with the teaching of the church.

CUOMO: I think that's what this is. That's why I'm asking you, American Catholicism it's a crucible right now. There is a growing divide because of Francis, in a good way, in a bad way. But I hear you Catholic conservatives saying, he's saying things for everybody else. What about what we want to hear?

And right or wrong a lot of that directs, Father Beck, to the teaching specifically on marriage and on reproductive rights. Francis made a lot of news when he said, used the word gay and said, "Who am I to judge?" People took that as code. And then the Vatican came out and said, no, no, no, marriage is a man and a woman. He's just saying don't focus your judgment on others, focus on service.

What are the positions? What will be the impact?

BECK: First of all, this pope is a universal donor, right? Something for everyone. He comes here to Philadelphia and he is going to stress the sanctity of marriage and family as the church understands it, between a man and a woman.

But note what happened before that. He talked about abortion, now abortion extending the forgiveness of abortion and other family issues, of course, except for just gay marriage. Birth control has been an issue, what about those who want to receive, who are divorced and remarried.

So, all these are a part of family life, too. We have a synod coming up in October, and this will top agenda items of the synod.

CUOMO: Synod is a great word for meeting.

BECK: That's exactly true.

But what this pope has wanted to do is include everybody in the conversation --

CUOMO: But the conservatives are hungry. They want to hear what he's got for them. What is he going to say, Delia?

GALLAGHER: It is a tough line to walk. You are absolutely right. There was initial confusion I would say amongst the conservatives about, you know, is this pope liberal or conservative? Where does he really stand?

And so, he has said, I stand fully within the tradition of the Catholic Church I want to exclude those who have been excluded. He has said he wants to do that in the practices of the church rather than changing the doctrine.

BECK: It regards family, like baptize, children, he was saying, just because someone is a single mother, you don't deny baptism for this child. People have gone through rigmarole in the parishes, if you're not married, you're not in the church, we're not going to baptize your child, he said none of that. You baptize every child. So, he's trying to broaden the notion of family, too, to say they're not all perfect. They don't all fit the guideline, but we have to include them anyway.

GALLAGHER: But I'm going to tell you something, Chris, it was interesting at the press conferences at the Vatican just before we came out here, the priest who was in charge of the canon law of the church law said the press conference on annulments and he said, quite as an aside, we'll follow up again in the Vatican, that one of the things they were talking about with the pope is the issue of registering baptism for gay couples. So, for example, obviously, baptize a child of a gay couple if they should ask. But one of the things parents have to do when they baptize their child is agree to raise the child in the Catholic faith.

[07:10:02] So what do you do if you have a gay couple --

CUOMO: You don't have to be married to baptize a child, right?

GALLAGHER: You don't have to be married but --

CUOMO: But that's the loophole.

GALLAGHER: No, but the problem there is that if you have a gay couple who's already not living according to the traditional teachings of the church, they will raise the child in that tradition -- you know, is there a contradiction there? And how do you register a mother and a father? So those are the questions.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Right, I got you. You won't have to answer them, he is. Will you have to figure out what you do in your church as clergy in terms of picking out what the conservatives wants you to do, which is follow the letter of the law, we are our orthodoxy or we are nothing without our orthodoxy or, you're going to do what Francis is suggesting, which is somewhat creating the conservative/liberalism division within the church, which is take the spirit of the rule. Don't focus so much on denial, don't focus so much on judgment, love, mercy, inclusion, how do you go?

BECK: What about the poor people who show up, they have a pastor who is not following these guidelines, is really by the book. I get this all the time. People come to me, I have to shop for a parish. I go to my priest, he

says one thing, I go to the next parish, they say something else, so I can baptize them in this parish ,but not this parish? How is that the universal Catholic Church?

CUOMO: So what's the job then?

BECK: Well, the bishops have to say to their priests and get on board with the bishop of Rome and they have to say to their priest, it is not your decision. You must do this. And if you are not going to do it, then we're going to remove you and put someone else in who is going to. They have to take a strong line with this.

GALLAGHER: That's why the synod is so important that's coming up.

CUOMO: Not just what but how, that's why people are saying as we get back to you, Alisyn and Mick, that, you know, the message -- it's not about the man, it's not about Francis, it's the message, how will that message take root here? All right?

We have live picture as well. We'll take a look at. We know that man, that's Cardinal Dolan, the archbishop of New York, big smile on his face, as always. This has been a huge event for him in his tenure in New York City. You know why he is there.

We are waiting for Pope Francis. It's going to be a big deal. He will hop in that Fiat the last time before he gets to the chopper.

Ali, Mick?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Cardinal Dolan is easy to spot, he's foot taller than everyone else in the crowd.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: He is also wearing a red cap.

He looks at the camera and smiles.

PEREIRA: He knows.

CAMEROTA: That's beautiful.

PEREIRA: All right, Chris. We'll be back with you in a moment.

A look at some headlines right now, for you, House Republicans are busy trying to figure out who will lead the caucus in the final year of the Obama administration? This, of course, after John Boehner's bombshell announcement he was going to step down at the end of October. Democrats say the move is proof of a fractured GOP conference stuck between the establishment and Tea Part wings. Boehner says he will finalize his decision hours before his announcement.

CAMEROTA: Update now on Hillary Clinton's e-mails, a newly discovered e-mail chain dating back to 2009 re-igniting the controversy. The State Department says the exchange of ten or so e-mails is with Davis Petraeus, then the head of the U.S. Central Command and dealt with personnel issues.

But also, there is a State Department official who said that they have discovered close to 1,000 Benghazi related e-mails that have not been disclosed to the House committee investigating the attack, the State Department previously said it had turned ever all records requested by that House committee on Benghazi.

PEREIRA: Kentucky court clerk Kim Davis, a long time Democrat, says she is switching her affiliation to become a Republican. Davis says she feels abandoned by Democrats in her crusade against same sex marriage. She made that announcement Friday while attending the Value Voters Summit. Conservatives embraced Davis because of his refusal to issue marriage license to gay couples.

CAMEROTA: Well, John Boehner's surprise resignation triggering a flurry of political maneuvering this morning. Who is likely to replace him? A congressman who challenged Boehner for the speakership joins us live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:17:01] SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Just a few minutes ago, Speaker Boehner announced that he will be resigning.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: All right. That was a group of conservative voters giving a standing ovation after hearing about Boehner's surprise resignation. Already, lawmakers are wondering who will be next in line to be speaker.

Let's turn to Florida Congressman Ted Yoho. He previously ran against Congressman Boehner for the role of speaker to protest Boehner's leadership.

Congressman, thanks so much for being on NEW DAY.

REP. TED YOHO (R), FLORIDA: Thank you, Alisyn. It's great to be here.

CAMEROTA: What was your reaction when you heard this surprise announcement yesterday?

YOHO: Well, it was kind of anticipated and I commend John Boehner for stepping down so that we can move on and start solving the America's people's problems in this country.

CAMEROTA: Look, you know the narrative against that, against solving America's problems. The narrative is that John Boehner was doing yeoman's duty trying to bring these warring factions or at least quite desperate factions of the GOP together, and this was actually a loss for compromise? YOHO: You know people say that. But if you look at how Congress

worked, dysfunction and the American people and their sentiment towards Congress, you know, we got a 9 to a 12 percent approval rating. It's things like the debt ceiling that the government shut down two years ago. We have not had one discussion until last week about the debt ceiling.

So, that's the dysfunction the American people see. And that's the dysfunction we need to sew that we can create solutions to those, those are the things that the American people have reached out and said when are you guys going to start getting work done? And with Mr. Boehner stepping down, we'll install a new leader. We'll put the emphasis on start solving the problems.

CAMEROTA: Who do you think that leader will be?

YOHO: There are several people in the running. I don't know at this point. But I can tell you, we'll go through a process where we vet these candidates. We make sure they will stand on the principles that will solve these problems and start solving the problems for the American people.

You know, the people out there sitting watching this today, drinking a cup of coffee this morning, they want us to start solving problems like immigration. That's gone on for 30 years. In fact, I heard somebody yesterday in leadership said they have been working on a problem for 30 years up in walk. The American people don't want us working on problems for 30 years. They want them resolved. That's really the gridlock that we see up in walk.

CAMEROTA: Kevin McCarthy's name has imploded. How do you feel about that?

YOHO: At this point, I'm not going to come out and endorse anybody until we go through that vetting process, there is a lot of questions about are you going to operate the house on principle or is it going to be over power and money and bill should be brought up on the principle of those what they stand on from the initiative of the member.

CAMEROTA: Congressman Peter King gave his take on what happened yesterday, and he echoes the thought of many Democrats.

[07:20:03] Let me play for you what he thinks went wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: It signals that crazies have taken over the party. This never happened before in our country, where a person doing the job the speaker of the House was removed from office by a small faction because they have unreasonable demands that if you don't agree with them, you shut the government down. This is insanity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: He says you have unreasonable demands and this signals that the crazies have taken over the party.

YOHO: Well, Mr. King can have his opinions. And, you know, to call people names and crazies, I mean, that's childish.

You know, look at the facts, though, in 1989, our country owed $2 trillion in debt. Today, we're over 18 trillion in debt. And the establishment, the status quos are the ones that have left us there.

And again, I came from private practice as being a veterinarian to Congress three years ago because of the inaction in Congress. Why is immigration not fixed?

We have been talking about responsible immigration reform, the people, the pope talked about solving these problems, and it's because of the gridlock and the status quo in Washington, and what this shows is that that gridlock can be broke and the establishment's back can be changed so that we can get on and have government by the people and for we the people.

CAMEROTA: Yes. I mean, even some Republicans say that this doesn't show that the gridlock can be broken. What it shows is that you have won the battle, but not necessarily the war. Let me read to you what Eric Cantor has said --

YOHO: Absolutely.

CAMEROTA: -- in today's "New York Times." he, of course, lost his seat in a primary to a Tea Party challenger. He says, "It is imperative we fight for what we believe in. We should fight smartly. I never heard of a football team that won by throwing only Hail Mary passes, yet that is what is demanded of politics today. In politics, this means incremental progress, winning hearts and minds before the winning the vote, the kind of governance Ronald Reagan perfected."

Now, you know, a government shutdown is not an incremental progress. What he is talking about is you are aiming for these Hail Mary passes.

YOHO: No, absolutely not. You know, Eric was a dear friend of ours, and he left. He's not there anymore. It's a different ball game. And, you know, you talk about the government shutdown and again this goes back to my original argument.

You know, the government shut down in December, 2013. They shut down for 16 days until October of 2013, why have we not had one discussion in Congress -- in fact, Hal Rogers the chairman of the appropriations committee, was quoted in the "Hill" newspaper on July 27th saying that he has requested of John Boehner over and over again to have discussions, conference meetings, strategy sessions on how we will deal with $1 trillion in debt.

If you lead, why would you wait until the last days of Congress to try to decide how you will solve your debt crisis. See, this is crisis management and this is why we don't get things done, because of that lack of leadership. So I disagree with Mr. Cantor.

CAMEROTA: OK. Congressman Ted Yoho, thank you for being on NEW DAY with your perspective. We'll see what happens then.

YOHO: Alisyn, I appreciate it. Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Let's go over to Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right. We are live as the pope leaves New York City, we're watching that and we'll take you there as it happens.

But, first, former President Bill Clinton weighing in on his wife Hillary's e-mail controversy. Does he think it's a big deal? What he told our Fareed Zakaria. That's next. .

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:26:55] PEREIRA: Good to have you back with us. Twenty-six minutes past the hour.

Bill Clinton emerging from the shadows to talk his perspective on the email controversy that is rocking his wife's presidential candidate: The former president is sitting down with our Fareed Zakaria to explain why he thinks the private server Hillary Clinton used as secretary of state has become such a big deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: There will be a new president in 2017, January, you're, some would say, the most skilled students of American politics, why do you think Hillary Clinton is having a tougher time than many imagined? The lead in the national polls has narrowed. Iowa and New Hampshire seems tough for folks.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: Well, I think you know why. I think you know why. From 1992, I received a call, in '91, before I started to run for president, from the Bush White House, from a man, he said, we've looked at the field, are you the only one that can win. The press has to have someone every election. We're going to give him you. You better not run.

All of a sudden something nobody thought was an issue, Whitewater that turned out never to be an issue winds up being a $70 million investigation and all the hammering happened and U.S. voters, do you really believe this amounts to anything? No, do you trust him as much? No. There must be something.

So this is just something that has been a regular feature of all our presidential campaigns, except in 2008 for unique reasons. So, ever since Watergate, something like this happens. I'd rather it happen now than later. And it was always going to happen.

The other party doesn't want to run against her. If they do, they'd like her as mangled up as possible. And they know that if they leak things, say things, that that is catnip to the people who get bored talking about what's your position on student loan relief or dealing with the shortage of mental health care. We are seeing history repeat itself and I actually am amazed she's born up under it as well as she has. But I have never seen so much expended on so little. There have been a shocking number of really reputable press people who have explained how you can't receive or transmit classified information, how the deposit has no central authority for classification that the defense, state and intelligence actions have their own.

I mean, there have been a lot of fun things, they don't seem to show up on television very much. It is what it is. But I think she went out and did her interviews, said she was sorry her personal e-mail caused all this confusion and she'd like to give the election back to the American people. And I trust the people.

[07:30:00] I think it will be all right. But it's obvious what happened, you know, at the beginning of the year, she was the most admired person in public life. She earned it. Why? Because she was being covered by people who reported on what she was doing -- the new START Treaty, the Iran sanction, tripling the number of people on AIDS getting medicine for no more tax money.

America was -- when she was left office, our approval rating was more than 20 points higher than it had previously been. What happened? The presidential campaign happened. And the nature of the coverage shifted from issue base to political. And it happened.

You can't complain. This is not, this is a contact sport. They're not giving the job away. And people who want to race wanted her to drop some and the people in the other party desperately wanted it, because she's already put out more positions on more issues and said how she would pay for it. I think than all the others combined, based on the two, the Republicans based on the two debates that I saw.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: But you think it's a Republican plot, really?

CLINTON: No, I'm not going there, because that's what -- it's not a plot makes it sound like it's a secret. No, I think that there are lots of people who wanted there to be a race for different reasons and the only way they can make it race is a full frontal assault on her. And so, this e-mail became the biggest story in the world.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Very interesting to hear his perspective. You can see Fareed's entire sit-down interview with Bill Clinton, it will air tomorrow on "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS", 10:00 a.m. Eastern, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

All right. Shall we?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Let's do it. Let's check in with Chris.

He looks like --

PEREIRA: A thumbs up.

CAMEROTA: -- a thumbs up, that's progress.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Listen, the sun is coming up. That's the effect Pope Francis can have on a city, although I hear it comes up every day, which may be a coincidence. We're going to follow the pope's final few minutes in New York City. That's the live picture you're looking at right now.

It's always a big deal when the pope goes somewhere, especially now that he's developed this new caricature figure of this fiat, and then he's going to be getting on the military helicopter right there. You see it. It's going to fly him to the airport. He's going to get on a plane. He's going to come here to Philadelphia.

We will follow it all the way through. Get you that big moment. And then, we're going to talk about what's going to happen when he comes to the City of Brotherly Love.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:36:08] CUOMO: It's a great, great trip we have been following, have you the man, Pope Francis. You have the one we are about to see as he leaves, where he stayed overnight in New York City, of course, headed here, where we are to Philadelphia. He's going to get in that Fiat. People will go crazy. He will get on the marine helicopter here that will take him to the airport and he comes to the City of Brotherly Love.

So, you have the man, you have the moments, and, of course, the message and that's what's going to happen here at Independents Hall. That pope is going to be speaking from a lectern that Abraham Lincoln use for Gettysburg address. Remember, the pope mentioned Abraham Lincoln when he was speaking to Congress, as one of the four Americans who kind of embodies our ideas of tolerance and freedom.

So, another man who is very excited for the pope and also has a great responsibility where the pontiff is involved is Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf.

Governor, thank you very much for being with us.

GOV. TOM WOLF (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Thank you, Chris, for having me here. Can I mention three things?

CUOMO: Please?

WOLF: First of all, the sun does come up every day here in Philadelphia.

CUOMO: Good to know.

WOLF: The pope I think was in a Jeep yesterday.

CUOMO: Jeep Wrangler.

WOLF: Which I drive.

CUOMO: Same one? WOLF: Same one. Well, I didn't have the --

CUOMO: Not yet?

WOLF: Not yet.

And third, this is the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.

CUOMO: Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't see that on the license plate.

WOLF: We're working on it.

CUOMO: State government, it works very slowly.

It's great to have you here, Governor.

WOLF: Thank you.

CUOMO: The first point is a serious one -- are you ready from a security preparations standpoint?

WOLF: Well, the proof is in the pudding. We'll know tomorrow evening. We have done everything. The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has done everything to support Philadelphia and the federal agencies to make sure the pope's visit a safe and secure one.

The other thing we want people here to enjoy themselves. We want them to come away from Philadelphia, all of our guests and visitors, coming away from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the sense they want to come back.

CUOMO: Love it here, a beautiful place. Great people.

The concern, of course, is that it's so locked down. The city is so secure, that it might dissuade people from coming. You heard the rumors of people going down ashore to get away from the pope because it's going to be so tough.

How do you balance, how do you encourage them to come but make it safe when you do?

WOLF: It's a great question. We tried to do our best in the balancing act. We want both things. We want safety and security. We want people to have a good time.

So, the last thing we want is for people to feel they're not welcome here. If we've done that, that's -- we've gone too far. We will see tomorrow how we did.

CUOMO: As you have been watching the momentum build, have you been surprised how big the reaction, how electric, how unifying the pope has been?

WOLF: No, I think he's an electrifying force. He is a world leader who stands for some amazing things, has some great values. I think he deserves the accolades he gets. I'm honored. I think all of us in Pennsylvania, we're honored he's chosen Pennsylvania to spends two days.

CUOMO: I was surprised, myself. I thought he exceeded expectations. I was for Pope John Paul II. That was amazing with the skyscrapers and what he was doing with Poland at the time with solidarity, what happened with communism. But the way that this man has transcended what has been an ugly political environment and social dynamic, he has really brought people to weigh in, in numbers I didn't expect. This is supposed to be the biggest one.

He is coming to the World Meeting on the Family. Pope Benedict agreed to it. It started with Benedict in '74. My mother is here this week. She loved it.

He's going to give a different tone here. He's going to be talking about some of the things the liberal Catholics don't like to hear. Marriage is between a man and a him who. You have a responsibility to protect the unborn from the moment of conception, how do you think that plays here?

[07:40:00] WOLF: I'm not sure. But he's also going to talk about things people care about more broadly, fairness, justice, in welcoming to people of different faith, different nationalities. I think those are things we all need to hear. I think that's why he is resonating around the world. Those are fundamental themes that all of us, liberal or conservative, need to care about. He's going to be talking about that I hope in this message here.

CUOMO: There have been certainly a check with the small universal principles he has brought to bear about our duties of tolerance and responsibility and not focusing on judgment all the time. Where do the people in your state come down on these bedrock issues, also obviously legal and political issues, about the rights of the unborn and about what marriage is supposed to be?

WOLF: I think people differ, I think most Pennsylvanians pay great tribute to our roots. William Penn founded this commonwealth on the basis of religious tolerance and freedom, on freedom of conscience. The nation, our democracy was born here in Philadelphia. And I think most Pennsylvanians pay tribute to those fundamental ideas and values.

CUOMO: We're all excited for the message. You are going to be the man of the hour here. You've got on this very spiffy looking tie and suit.

Are you going to meet the pope and when, of course you are, what are you going to have prepared for that moment?

WOLF: Well --

CUOMO: To speak of, you cannot blow that moment. It's huge. It lends all the scrutiny.

WOLF: Thank you for building up the pressure so much here.

CUOMO: So, what do have you planned for?

WOLF: The tie actually is a tribute to your brother. He wore the same type yesterday.

CUOMO: That is not a good omen, well dressed people in public officer, everybody says.

WOLF: But I am so looking forward to meeting the pope. We are all going out to the airport to greet him when he comes off this plane. I hope to be with him throughout the weekend. So I'm hoping I get a chance to at least give him the warm Pennsylvania welcome he deserves.

CUOMO: Oh, boy, he certainly does. You will become, Governor, what they call a relic by contact when you have that proximity to the pope. So, you will have a little bit of special holiness on you, remember that.

WOLF: Thank you very much, Chris. Good to be with you.

CUOMO: Governor, appreciate it. Good luck here. Thank you for having us.

WOLF: Thank you.

CUOMO: All right. Back to you in New York, Alisyn, relic by contact. I'd qualify for that as well.

CAMEROTA: You also look very spiffy.

Right now, we are looking at live pictures. This, of course, is the Upper East Side of New York, courtesy of WABC. We are getting ready for the pope to depart. Of course, we're following his journey all day as he says good-bye to New York City this morning and he heads to Philadelphia where Chris is.

But first, speaking of journey, Anthony Bourdain is back, season 6 of CNN "PARTS UNKNOWN" premiers this weekend. We'll have a preview of that and more of Pope Francis' journey.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:46:15] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the culture is so strong, that it will take a lot of boats, cruise ships. We are always like this, with or without tourists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: We are always like this Anthony Bourdain "PARTS UNKNOWN" has waited long enough. New season is finally here. Season 6 of the award winning premiers this Sunday with episodes in Cuba, Ethiopia, Istanbul, Charleston, South Carolina to name a few.

He talks about his travels, world renowned chef and host, Anthony Bourdain.

So, tell us, what will surprise us from there season. Let's start with Cuba. ANTHONY BOURDAIN, PARTS UNKNOWN: I think people are going to be

shocked -- I was shocked. I think everyone who watches the show will be shocked how much Cuba has changed in the last few years. I went five years ago and going back, this time, a whole different story. The toothpaste is out of the tube as far as freedoms and, you know, Castro is still very much in charge. But there are individually owned and operated businesses everywhere, running out of people's house, they are in no way prepared for what's going to happen at any real soon, meaning boutique hotels, you know, funny colored drinks, cruise ships, we're not going to recognize Cuba --

PEREIRA: Is that a part of the conversation or do you find that people are sort of wanting to hold onto the traditional Cuba that they have known and loved, or what did you find happening?

BOURDAIN: I think that's a big question, how they're going to deal with that, even very poor Cubans living in these cookie cutter sold this morning public housing projects in Santiago, Cuba, each little sort of project has a doctor on site, free medical care. They do have free education, to what extent will they loads those things when the world changes? And it's changing so fast.

CUOMO: What do they anticipate the most in terms of like what's going to happen with food and culture? What do you think they want to put out there for people to see?

BOURDAIN: Let's be clear: people are careful what they have to say. They have to be necessarily careful what they say to us. Events are constantly outpacing policy. People's artistic expression, drag racing, music, there are nightclubs and galleries, when everyone has access to twitter, social media and television, which they don't now.

CUOMO: Right.

BOURDAIN: Who knows? I think it's just happening so fast. It's impossible to say.

CUOMO: Let's talk about some of the other places that we will see, courtesy of you this season. Marseilles, Okinawa, Ethiopia, California Bay Area, Borneo, Istanbul, Charleston, South Carolina.

Tell us of some of the delicious food you have consumed in any of these places.

BOURDAIN: Charleston is sort of a food hub. It's one of those sort of odd and anomalies that you find around America for some -- actually for very good reason, developed a really fantastic food culture. Local resident Bill Murray helps us navigate.

PEREIRA: Oh, no way.

CUOMO: Oh-oh.

BOURDAIN: It's going to be fun. And I went to Ethiopia with Marcus Samuelson.

PEREIRA: Only the chef Marcus Samuelson.

BOURDAIN: Marcus has an interesting story. His, he was adopted as an Ethiopian, adopted largely in Sweden an America, and his relationship with the country of his birth is really interesting and complicated. And so, we go back to Ethiopia with him to, you know, look at both his home village where he was born, and his wife's -- his wife Maya's village, two very different cultures within Ethiopia. Extraordinary country, Ethiopia, just like every other country in Africa was not caught on. Very unique history and cuisine and fascinating personal story.

CUOMO: One weird thing that you eat in this season that you haven't eaten before?

BOURDAIN: To me, a cinnabon is weird, you know?

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Anthony, great to see you. Of course, the new season "ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN" begins this Sunday, 9:00 p.m., right here on CNN.

CUOMO: Cinnabon is weird? That crazy Bourdain.

All right. So, take a look, Pope Francis is getting ready to leave, he's going to be jumping in that Fiat which is a celebrated thing itself. Then take a look at live pictures. We've got live pictures from where we are in Philadelphia, the festival of family, people already lining up to whether they'll get to seat pope.

We're going to take you to the final minutes here in Philly and what is straight ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: We do have some breaking news we want to show you live pictures right now of the pope departing the papal nuncio on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

[07:55:03] You see through the trees there, through the branches, that is Cardinal Dolan who is escorting him there. Of course, the pope is getting into the motorcade. You can see preparations being made there with security folks jumping in the hatchback. There on the right side of your screen.

We'll have much more of the pope's journey, when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARDINAL TIM DOLAN, NEW YORK: Thanks for visiting us, your family.

(APPLAUSE) CUOMO: The Holy Father's leave the pal residence in New York City.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excitement is really building here in Philadelphia. This is the reason that he is coming to the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If there's anything true about Pope Francis, he is close to the people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More than the man, it's about the message.

POPE FRANCIS: Don't forget to pray for me.

(APPLAUSE)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I decided, you know, today's the day I'm going to do this, as simple as that.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: John Boehner announcing he will step down.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's somebody who understands that in governance, you don't get 100 percent of what you want.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This clown, Marco Rubio, I've been so nice to him.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.