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CNN Sunday Morning
Pope John Paul II Turns 83
Aired May 18, 2003 - 08:32 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: Pope John Paul II turned 83 today and he marked the occasion by canonizing four new saints as thousands looked on.
Let's go now to our Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci. He's got more on what happened today-- Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Hello to you, Robin. I'd like to show you the front page of the official newspaper at the Vatican, "L'Osservatore Romano (ph)." And you has, of course, the date of the pope's birthday, 18 of May 2003 and a giant picture -- in color picture of Pope John Paul II in Spain during his recent trip to Spain. And in quotes here saying, "Tu sei Giovane (ph)," meaning, "You are Young." And indeed, it is a very young and youthful pope that -- greeted -- was greeted this morning here at the Vatican during the canonization ceremony, of course on this day of his birthday.
Pope John Paul II marking this day, as he would do any other day. That is working; he has canonized four more saints, two from Poland and two from Italy.
Now, whether the pope -- while the pope is said to be rejuvenating according to Vatican officials; also for the first time, one top cardinal acknowledged in an interview given to Italian newspaper that the pope has Parkinson's Disease. And his secret weapon to fight and cure that disease was prayer. Now, this is not an official statement coming from the Vatican itself. Vatican officials never issued those kind of a statements on the pope's health. But it is the first time that a top Vatican official publicly acknowledges the fact that Pope John Paul II had Parkinson's Disease.
Of course, Vatican officials and reporters who had observed the pope in recent years have known all along that the pope was suffering from that kind of disease; especially because he has a bad tremor on his body, especially on his left arm.
Now, here at the Vatican, of course, the Vatican not really celebrating the pope's birthday on this day. What they do usually celebrate is the pope's saint, which is Carol, which comes in October. And another important date to celebrate this coming October is the 25 anniversary of Pope John Paul's pontificate. And for that occasion, of course, there will be a lot more celebrations. And of course, many of the cardinals, or most all of the cardinals have been invited to Rome to attend the celebration -- Robin.
MEADE: And you say he's looking re-energized and it's probably a good thing. Let's talk about the number of trips that he may have plan. I know next up is Croatia. What's after that, Alessio?
VINCI: It's correct. He goes in about three weeks' time to Croatia. That would be his one-hundredth trip aboard of his papacy -- in his 25 years of papacy. He plans then a day trip to Bosnia, a couple of weeks later. And then later this summer, he wants to go to Mongolia. Although Vatican officials today are saying they're still seeing whether the SARS epidemic could put that trip in danger. And of course, on the way back to Mongolia, if he goes there, there's a possibility that the pope will make a stop to Kazan in Russia. That will be of course, the first time that the pope travels to Russia. And yet, another trip planned in Slovakia in September. So, a busy schedule for the pope ahead of him this summer and later this year.
MEADE: All right, Alessio Vinci, thank you so much, 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 - 08:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Pope John Paul II turned 83 today and he marked the occasion by canonizing four new saints as thousands looked on.
Let's go now to our Rome bureau chief Alessio Vinci. He's got more on what happened today-- Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Hello to you, Robin. I'd like to show you the front page of the official newspaper at the Vatican, "L'Osservatore Romano (ph)." And you has, of course, the date of the pope's birthday, 18 of May 2003 and a giant picture -- in color picture of Pope John Paul II in Spain during his recent trip to Spain. And in quotes here saying, "Tu sei Giovane (ph)," meaning, "You are Young." And indeed, it is a very young and youthful pope that -- greeted -- was greeted this morning here at the Vatican during the canonization ceremony, of course on this day of his birthday.
Pope John Paul II marking this day, as he would do any other day. That is working; he has canonized four more saints, two from Poland and two from Italy.
Now, whether the pope -- while the pope is said to be rejuvenating according to Vatican officials; also for the first time, one top cardinal acknowledged in an interview given to Italian newspaper that the pope has Parkinson's Disease. And his secret weapon to fight and cure that disease was prayer. Now, this is not an official statement coming from the Vatican itself. Vatican officials never issued those kind of a statements on the pope's health. But it is the first time that a top Vatican official publicly acknowledges the fact that Pope John Paul II had Parkinson's Disease.
Of course, Vatican officials and reporters who had observed the pope in recent years have known all along that the pope was suffering from that kind of disease; especially because he has a bad tremor on his body, especially on his left arm.
Now, here at the Vatican, of course, the Vatican not really celebrating the pope's birthday on this day. What they do usually celebrate is the pope's saint, which is Carol, which comes in October. And another important date to celebrate this coming October is the 25 anniversary of Pope John Paul's pontificate. And for that occasion, of course, there will be a lot more celebrations. And of course, many of the cardinals, or most all of the cardinals have been invited to Rome to attend the celebration -- Robin.
MEADE: And you say he's looking re-energized and it's probably a good thing. Let's talk about the number of trips that he may have plan. I know next up is Croatia. What's after that, Alessio?
VINCI: It's correct. He goes in about three weeks' time to Croatia. That would be his one-hundredth trip aboard of his papacy -- in his 25 years of papacy. He plans then a day trip to Bosnia, a couple of weeks later. And then later this summer, he wants to go to Mongolia. Although Vatican officials today are saying they're still seeing whether the SARS epidemic could put that trip in danger. And of course, on the way back to Mongolia, if he goes there, there's a possibility that the pope will make a stop to Kazan in Russia. That will be of course, the first time that the pope travels to Russia. And yet, another trip planned in Slovakia in September. So, a busy schedule for the pope ahead of him this summer and later this year.
MEADE: All right, Alessio Vinci, thank you so much, 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
