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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Delia Gallagher
Aired May 18, 2003 - 07:31 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.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. They were there to wish Pope John Paul II a happy 83rd birthday, and to hear him proclaim four saints. Yesterday, for the first time, a Vatican official publicly acknowledged the pope has Parkinson's Disease.
For more, we're joined from Rome by the managing editor of "Inside the Vatican," Delia Gallagher.
Delia, good morning to you. Appreciate your time. Why the timing of this announcement? Why did the Vatican decide to make that?
DELIA GALLAGHER, MANAGING EDITOR, INSIDE THE VATICAN: Well, let's be very clear. It's not the Vatican that has made this announcement. It's well known that the Pope has Parkinson's. This story came out because a cardinal was asked about Parkinson's Disease, and therefore, mentioned the name in the context of his response.
So the media has taken to mean that the Vatican has made an announcement, but that's not exactly right. Nonetheless, the Vatican wouldn't deny that he dies -- the Pope does have Parkinson's. It's been well known for many years. And the cardinal was just making a response to a journalist's question.
They tend, of course, to dwell on the fact. And therefore, they don't announce it officially. And that's why this has made a bit of a stir today.
But nonetheless, we've seen a Pope who is very strong, and has in fact recovered a little bit of that vigor in the past few months. And one of the reasons for this, there's been a lot of talk of papaya pills or vitamins. But we know that the Pope is actually doing some physical therapy in the mornings. And he's made to some exercises to help keep his upper chest and his head up, because the head was a having a tendency to droop.
So we've seen some marked improvement in his physical health in the last few months.
MEADE: Delia, if the media has taken, as you say, the we'll call it confirmation or non-denial from the Vatican anyway about the Pope's situation with Parkinson's. What has the reaction been in Rome to that? Any?
GALLAGHER: Well, no, there's been no reaction in the sense that this is a story that just came out this morning, again, based on an interview with the cardinal yesterday, asking about the conditions of the Pope. So there will be no reaction as far as I can see because again this is something that was not hidden.
Of course, the Vatican doesn't come out and make announcements, as it were, on the Pope's health ever. So there will be no reaction as far as I can see.
MEADE: Okay, so if you're the Pope, you're turning 83, you've already proclaimed 473 saints and traveled something like 750,000 miles, how will the Pope then mark his birthday today?
GALLAGHER: Well, his birthdays tend to be celebrated very much in private. We saw the mass this morning. And all the people who came from Poland to sing happy birthday to him in St. Peters Square.
But the Pope tends to celebrate his Saints Day, St. Carol, in October. And so the birthday is a little bit more of a private celebration, a luncheon with some of his closest Polish friends.
This year is also the 25th anniversary of this pontificate. So there's another celebration happening in the course of this year throughout the year. And the Pope will celebrate that in a very big way in October.
MEADE: You know, as they celebrate that 25th year then, is it clear what might be this Pope's legacy as history would show us?
GALLAGHER: Well, I think they've already started to discuss that in the past few months. And it's clear that no one can decide on just one legacy. He's left many. And of course, we have to remember that he still has things to accomplish. This is a Pope who is very driven by a sense of intermission and a sense of mysticism and mission in his life. And he believes that he still has some things to do.
He's about to go on his 100th trip abroad to Croatia. And of course, there's one place that he still desires to go to, and that's Russia. And he hasn't yet accomplished that. So some say that's keeping him going, this desire to go to Russia and meet with the orthodox patriarch there, which would be very significant for this Pope and for the history of the two churches.
MEADE: All right Delia Gallagher, thank you so much for your report this morning. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 18, 2003 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. They were there to wish Pope John Paul II a happy 83rd birthday, and to hear him proclaim four saints. Yesterday, for the first time, a Vatican official publicly acknowledged the pope has Parkinson's Disease.
For more, we're joined from Rome by the managing editor of "Inside the Vatican," Delia Gallagher.
Delia, good morning to you. Appreciate your time. Why the timing of this announcement? Why did the Vatican decide to make that?
DELIA GALLAGHER, MANAGING EDITOR, INSIDE THE VATICAN: Well, let's be very clear. It's not the Vatican that has made this announcement. It's well known that the Pope has Parkinson's. This story came out because a cardinal was asked about Parkinson's Disease, and therefore, mentioned the name in the context of his response.
So the media has taken to mean that the Vatican has made an announcement, but that's not exactly right. Nonetheless, the Vatican wouldn't deny that he dies -- the Pope does have Parkinson's. It's been well known for many years. And the cardinal was just making a response to a journalist's question.
They tend, of course, to dwell on the fact. And therefore, they don't announce it officially. And that's why this has made a bit of a stir today.
But nonetheless, we've seen a Pope who is very strong, and has in fact recovered a little bit of that vigor in the past few months. And one of the reasons for this, there's been a lot of talk of papaya pills or vitamins. But we know that the Pope is actually doing some physical therapy in the mornings. And he's made to some exercises to help keep his upper chest and his head up, because the head was a having a tendency to droop.
So we've seen some marked improvement in his physical health in the last few months.
MEADE: Delia, if the media has taken, as you say, the we'll call it confirmation or non-denial from the Vatican anyway about the Pope's situation with Parkinson's. What has the reaction been in Rome to that? Any?
GALLAGHER: Well, no, there's been no reaction in the sense that this is a story that just came out this morning, again, based on an interview with the cardinal yesterday, asking about the conditions of the Pope. So there will be no reaction as far as I can see because again this is something that was not hidden.
Of course, the Vatican doesn't come out and make announcements, as it were, on the Pope's health ever. So there will be no reaction as far as I can see.
MEADE: Okay, so if you're the Pope, you're turning 83, you've already proclaimed 473 saints and traveled something like 750,000 miles, how will the Pope then mark his birthday today?
GALLAGHER: Well, his birthdays tend to be celebrated very much in private. We saw the mass this morning. And all the people who came from Poland to sing happy birthday to him in St. Peters Square.
But the Pope tends to celebrate his Saints Day, St. Carol, in October. And so the birthday is a little bit more of a private celebration, a luncheon with some of his closest Polish friends.
This year is also the 25th anniversary of this pontificate. So there's another celebration happening in the course of this year throughout the year. And the Pope will celebrate that in a very big way in October.
MEADE: You know, as they celebrate that 25th year then, is it clear what might be this Pope's legacy as history would show us?
GALLAGHER: Well, I think they've already started to discuss that in the past few months. And it's clear that no one can decide on just one legacy. He's left many. And of course, we have to remember that he still has things to accomplish. This is a Pope who is very driven by a sense of intermission and a sense of mysticism and mission in his life. And he believes that he still has some things to do.
He's about to go on his 100th trip abroad to Croatia. And of course, there's one place that he still desires to go to, and that's Russia. And he hasn't yet accomplished that. So some say that's keeping him going, this desire to go to Russia and meet with the orthodox patriarch there, which would be very significant for this Pope and for the history of the two churches.
MEADE: All right Delia Gallagher, thank you so much for your report this morning. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
