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CNN Sunday Morning
Pope Has Parkinson's Disease
Aired May 18, 2003 - 9:17 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: A top official at the Vatican has acknowledged what many have suspected for a long time -- Pope John Paul II has Parkinson's disease. Now, the statement was made yesterday, a day before the Pope celebrated his 83rd birthday.
CNN's Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, is joining us now live with the very latest.
So, Alessio, has there been that much reaction on that front?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: No reaction whatsoever, Robin, and the reason is because the Vatican is not officially saying that the Pope has Parkinson's disease and something, as you rightly mention, is something that most people that observed the Vatican have known all along in the last few years. What -- the reason why everybody talks about this today is because this top Vatican official, which is a cardinal, Giovanni Battista Re, in an interview with an Italian newspaper, answering a question about Parkinson's disease said, and I quote here that, "one of the secret weapons that has allowed the Pope to beat the years of Parkinson's," naming the illness by name, "we must look to prayer. He put himself in the hands of God and feels God and the Madonna," -- The Virgin Mary -- "by his side in the path of life."
So, in answering this question, the -- Giovanni Battista Re, the cardinal specifically mentioned Parkinson's, and it is the first time, indeed, that a top Vatican official uses the -- mentioned the disease by name. But it is, of course, no surprise to most Vatican observers.
And then today, indeed, on the 83rd birthday of Pope John Paul II in Vatican square, he celebrated his day doing what he does everyday, and that is working. And today, in St. Peter's Square in front of a crowd of about 50,000 pilgrims, Pope John Paul II canonized four more saints -- two from Poland and two from Italy.
And indeed, also, the Vatican does not usually celebrate the Pope's birthday on this day. What they do really celebrate is his name, the Saint, St. Carol the (INAUDIBLE). And, of course, another big celebration is later this year on October 16, when the Vatican will celebrate Pope John Paul II 25th anniversary of his pontificate.
Robin, back to you.
MEADE: All right, thank you so much, Alessio.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to give you some more information about Parkinson's. It is, of course, a progressive degenerative disease striking brain cells that produce dopamine. It affects as many as one million Americans.
Parkinson's disease causes tremors, stiffness, slowness in movement, and problems with balance. Among some of the well known people with Parkinson's, actor, Michael J. Fox, as well as Mohammed Ali.
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 - 9:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: A top official at the Vatican has acknowledged what many have suspected for a long time -- Pope John Paul II has Parkinson's disease. Now, the statement was made yesterday, a day before the Pope celebrated his 83rd birthday.
CNN's Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, is joining us now live with the very latest.
So, Alessio, has there been that much reaction on that front?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: No reaction whatsoever, Robin, and the reason is because the Vatican is not officially saying that the Pope has Parkinson's disease and something, as you rightly mention, is something that most people that observed the Vatican have known all along in the last few years. What -- the reason why everybody talks about this today is because this top Vatican official, which is a cardinal, Giovanni Battista Re, in an interview with an Italian newspaper, answering a question about Parkinson's disease said, and I quote here that, "one of the secret weapons that has allowed the Pope to beat the years of Parkinson's," naming the illness by name, "we must look to prayer. He put himself in the hands of God and feels God and the Madonna," -- The Virgin Mary -- "by his side in the path of life."
So, in answering this question, the -- Giovanni Battista Re, the cardinal specifically mentioned Parkinson's, and it is the first time, indeed, that a top Vatican official uses the -- mentioned the disease by name. But it is, of course, no surprise to most Vatican observers.
And then today, indeed, on the 83rd birthday of Pope John Paul II in Vatican square, he celebrated his day doing what he does everyday, and that is working. And today, in St. Peter's Square in front of a crowd of about 50,000 pilgrims, Pope John Paul II canonized four more saints -- two from Poland and two from Italy.
And indeed, also, the Vatican does not usually celebrate the Pope's birthday on this day. What they do really celebrate is his name, the Saint, St. Carol the (INAUDIBLE). And, of course, another big celebration is later this year on October 16, when the Vatican will celebrate Pope John Paul II 25th anniversary of his pontificate.
Robin, back to you.
MEADE: All right, thank you so much, Alessio.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to give you some more information about Parkinson's. It is, of course, a progressive degenerative disease striking brain cells that produce dopamine. It affects as many as one million Americans.
Parkinson's disease causes tremors, stiffness, slowness in movement, and problems with balance. Among some of the well known people with Parkinson's, actor, Michael J. Fox, as well as Mohammed Ali.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
