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CNN Sunday Morning
Pope Prepares for Mass at Yankee Stadium
Aired April 20, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: Another historic day here in New York City, where inside Yankee Stadium this morning, where Pope Benedict XVI will soon celebrate mass for a huge crowd. Sixty thousand people are expected. CNN will bring you live coverage.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in CNN's New York bureau. My partner, T.J. Holmes -- well, he just arrived at Yankee Stadium. He's going to join us very soon. We do want to thank you for starting your day with us.
Up first though, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have you heard? They are both scrambling for votes in Pennsylvania this morning. And they are just two days away until the primary there. The polls -- well, they show a tight race. CNN's best political team on television has the latest on the campaign trail.
It is also, as we mentioned, a big day for Pope Benedict XVI on his final day here in the United States. Two and a half hours from now, he will lead a prayer service at ground zero in Lower Manhattan. And we're going to bring you that live when it begins.
This afternoon, the pope celebrates mass for about 60,000 people at Yankee Stadium. Our live coverage begins at 2:00 Eastern.
Also: The pope wraps up his first trip to America tonight at 8:00 Eastern with a departure ceremony at JFK Airport.
Well, you know, no matter where the pope has been this week, from New York to Washington, he has been greeted by thousands who have traveled many miles just to see him. And at the youth rally in Yonkers yesterday, it was a rock star welcome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD CHANTING: We love you! We love you! We love you! We love you! We love you!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Twenty thousand seminary students and young people shouting their love for the pontiff. Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the repression of his own youth during the era of Nazi Germany.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) POPE BENEDICT XVI, CATHOLIC CHURCH: My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought they had all the answers. Its influence grew - infiltrating schools and civic bodies as well as politics and even the religion -- before it was fully recognized for the monster it was.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nowadays like there's a bunch of like other things going around, and no one's really concerned that much with the church anymore. So, it was really nice to see a lot of young people here.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you think events like this will help?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they will. It always makes me really happy when they come.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Lord's moving. The church is alive. We're happy to be here with the pope. We're happy to be Catholic. We're unabashedly Catholic, and we're very happy to share our faith with people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, yesterday's rally was also a chance for the Catholic Church to get young people excited about working for the church.
Pope Benedict is making history at practically every stop during his U.S. visit. And yesterday, take a listen.
He conducted mass at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. He is the first pope ever to visit the famed Catholic church; one of the largest in America. Let's take a listen to more of that.
It was really quite a sight. And during the mass, the pontiff returned to a subject he has touched on repeatedly during his visit here in the U.S., and that is the impact of clergy sexual abuse. The pope said he is praying this will be a time of purification and a time for healing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE BENEDICT XVI: And I also encourage you to cooperate with your bishops who continue to work effectively to resolve this issue. May our Lord Jesus Christ grant the church in America a renewed sense of unity and purpose as all -- bishops, clergy, religious and laity - move forward in hope, in love for the truth and for one another.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The pope has condemned the clergy sexual abuse of children as gravely immoral behavior.
And we'll continue our coverage of Pope Benedict's trip to New York throughout the morning. But new this morning: A woman on a mission. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Baghdad just a short time ago. Iraqi state TV says she was met by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Now, Rice's visit comes during escalating clashes between U.S. and Iraqi forces battling the Mehdi Army of Shiite cleric, Muqtada al Sadr.
I want to get to little politics now because just two days to go until the Pennsylvania primary. The candidates - well, they are moving past their bitter debate and now battling over the issues.
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser joins us now from Washington this morning.
Paul, all right, the latest round, it centers on health care and a campaign ad.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Exactly. And the campaign ad is by Barack Obama, and he's going after Hillary Clinton's health care plan. So, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Hillary Clinton's attacking, but what's she not telling you about her health care plan? It forces everyone to buy insurance, even if you can't afford it, and you pay a penalty if you don't.
Barack Obama believes...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: That was Barack Obama's ad. It's running in Pennsylvania across the state right now.
Hillary Clinton was on the campaign trail yesterday, and she responded this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D-NY) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And he is attacking me with a new ad that he has put up because I do cover everyone with more misleading everyone information. You know, he always says in his speeches that he's running a positive campaign, but then, his campaign does the opposite. But rather than attacking the problem, he'd rather attack my solution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: So, here they are, arguing over health care. He's saying that her plan forces you to buy health insurance and even if you can't afford it. She says her plan allows for federal subsidies to afford you to buy insurance.
They are pretty much still on the same page overall on health insurance. They want to include a lot more people under insurance plans than John McCain. So, you know, they're arguing over some of the fine points, but health insurance, Betty, is a very important issue with the voters. It's one of the top issues every time we poll. Betty?
NGUYEN: Yes, without a doubt.
All right. So, how are these two stacking up when it comes to the polls? Because -- as you know, we are heading into that primary very fast on Tuesday.
STEINHAUSER: You got it. Two days away, 158 delegates at stake.
And our latest CNN "Poll of Polls" in Pennsylvania: Hillary Clinton has about a five-point lead. What we do there is we take the latest surveys in the state and average them together. And you see there, about 9 percent, they're still undecided at this late date.
Is this going to be enough though? You know, I think most political analysts say Hillary Clinton needs a big win, a big win in Pennsylvania, maybe 10 points or more, to kind of dig into his margin right now. He's ahead when it comes to delegates, the popular vote, even states won. So, she really needs to have a big win to tell voters and to tell everybody, "I'm still in it."
Now, if you take a look at the national "Poll of Polls" though, it's a different story. She's ahead in Pennsylvania -- but when you average all the national polls together, and some of them are widely different, but you've got a bit of 11-point lead for Barack Obama right.
Again, she needs to win in Pennsylvania and win big to carry this race on. Two weeks later after Pennsylvania -- North Carolina and Indiana -- two other big important states. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser is joining us from Washington today. You've been on the road, now, you're back home. I'm sure he'll be in Pennsylvania come Tuesday. Thank you, Paul.
STEINHAUSER: Take care.
NGUYEN: And be sure to tune to CNN's Election Center Tuesday night for the Pennsylvania primary election results. The best political team on television brings you results like no one else. That's beginning at 7:00 Eastern followed by a special edition of LARRY KING LIVE at midnight.
Just a couple of hours from now, Pope Benedict XVI will visit the site of the 9/11 attacks here in New York City.
CNN's Senior U.N. Correspondent Richard Roth is live in Lower Manhattan at ground zero, and he's previewing what could be one of the most emotional moments of the pope's visit.
Good morning, Richard. Kind of give us an idea of what we're going to see today at ground zero. RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Betty, if you remember at St. Patrick's yesterday, a very lovely weather. Very fitting that it's gray and cold with a brisk wind coming here on ground zero, site of what used to be the World Trade Center towers.
Pope Benedict XVI will walk down into the pit area with selected family members. They had to win a lottery to go with him. And he is going to make a blessing, including a blessing for the terrorists, which some have some problems with, other family members do not.
Yesterday, I asked Vatican reporter and analyst, John Allen, about the pope's stop here at ground zero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ALLEN, CNN SR. VATICAN ANALYST: One level, I think, for Benedict XVI, ground zero is one of those sort of ultimate monuments to man's inhumanity to man. That is, a sort of towering symbol of evil. And so, I think, he is going to pray for -- first of all, for the victims and their families, but perhaps more deeply for a conversion of hearts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Now, of course, New York remains a major terrorist target. New York City's police commissioner, Ray Kelly, says, terrorists like to make a big splash, and this area certainly is maybe the biggest theater of all. There's been an unbelievably large security presence wherever the pope has gone.
Yesterday, I asked the commissioner about the ground zero stop.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAYMOND W. KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: Well, ground zero, I think, it means a lot to the city. You know, we had thousands of people killed there. We had police officers, firefighters in great numbers killed there. So, it means a lot to the first responders, and it means a lot to the city.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: I asked Commissioner Kelly about the pope's prayer for the terrorists. He said he's not going to tell the pope what to start doing. Betty?
NGUYEN: That's a good decision there. But let me ask you this, Richard, because yesterday, although the mood was very different at St. Patrick's Cathedral, are people are showing up just to catch a glimpse today at ground zero?
ROTH: Surprisingly, there's a bit of a crowd here on a public street corner. Usually, this area, 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning, is pretty quiet. But I'm not sure they're going to see the pope here, but they're certainly seeing a lot of television lights. This is a much more, obviously, a subdued type of location. It's not the rah- rah pomp that we've seen at the other stops.
Yankee Stadium, later today, will have over 50,000 people. So, there's going to be a bit of a crowd but nothing like the other locations.
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Richard Roth. Thank you, Richard.
Well, the frenzy surrounding Pope Benedict's trip to New York has been, you know, compared to that of a rockstar, and people are even buying up tour t-shirts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It gives the different events that the pope is attending, similar to like a rockstar's concert t-shirt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Also being snatched up, pope souvenir rosaries, even pope on a rope. And a Benedict bobblehead? Oh, my.
Now to our own resident rockstar: Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf.
Hey, when you get a bobblehead, you know you've made it, Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, that's what I've always been told. I'm waiting for that bobblehead. It still some time to come, I know.
Hey, Betty, I got something for you. What is it that includes some scattered showers, some heavy snow, and even fire? Well, folks, it's your national forecast. Of course it is. Why else would I be telling you?
We're going to show you who's going to get what and how long it's going to last coming up in a few moments. That and more, right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, you know, as we mentioned, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Baghdad just a short time ago.
And CNN's Jill Dougherty joins us now live from the Iraqi capital with more on Rice's visit.
This is a surprise, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, but that's very usual, Betty. They usually don't announce the fact that senior U.S. officials are coming here for security reasons. But she is here.
And we understand that one of the reasons she's in this area is because she will be heading off to the Iraq neighbors' conference. That's going to be taking place very soon, and that brings together countries in the region that are trying to deal with what's going on with Iraq right now.
On her schedule, she'll be meeting with the U.S. ambassador here, Ryan Crocker. And according to, at least Iraqi TV, she'll also be meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
And the timing of this is really crucial, because, right now, there is a violent clash, really a showdown, confrontation taking place between the Shiite cleric, anti-American cleric, Muqtada al Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia and the government of Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister. The clashes have been intense, and the timing is really very important. Betty?
NGUYEN: Yes, Jill, the clashes have definitely been intense. And I understand that Cleric Muqtada al Sadr has actually issued a warning. What is that about?
DOUGHERTY: He has. You could actually call it a threat, and that is the government of al-Maliki is saying, you, al Sadr, have to disband your Mehdi Army militia. They have to go because you cannot have any militia anymore. He is saying that he will not do this. And so, that's the context.
And the statement this morning from one of his political representatives, a parliamentarian actually, is saying that, "Disbanding the Mehdi Army will mean the end of the Maliki government." They have been back-and-forth on this politically and militarily.
This spokesman is saying, you should come and see what is going on in Sadr City. That's the neighborhood that's about three miles from here, Shiite neighborhood where there have been violent clashes, deadly clashes between Iraqi forces backed up by U.S. forces, facing down the Mehdi Army.
In fact, we have reports from civilians in that area saying that they've been hearing from the mosques, announcements that they should go and fight the occupier. And the fighting is not happening only here in Baghdad. It's also taking place in other cities around Iraq. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right. CNN's Jill Dougherty is joining us live from Baghdad. Thank you, Jill.
Back here in the states: The pope is at ground zero in New York just a little bit later this morning. So -- is weather going to dampen those ceremonies? It looks cloudy out there right now.
CNN meteorologist, Reynolds Wolf, is in the CNN severe weather center. So, any divine intervention today?
WOLF: You know, I think so. I think we're going to be dealing with some fog in New York until 9:00 o'clock local time, and then the sun expected to pop out. Skies are becoming partly cloudy, fog will dissipate, and high temperatures are going to 66 degrees. So, by the time you head out to ground zero, it should be beginning to break up in terms of the cloud cover, and as we get to Yankee Stadium in the afternoon, it should be a much better situation all together.
Right now, what we're seeing is some scattered showers to the south of New York at this time, from Baltimore to our nation's capital. Even in the Carolinas, we're seeing some splashes of those showers. Few embedded (ph) thunderstorms but nothing severe at this time.
On the other side of the coin and away from the rain, we're dealing with some dry conditions in parts of - well, take a look, from the northern plains clear down to the four corners we have a big threat of wildfires. Not only do we have low humidity and dew point, well, we've got some strong winds. Some winds gusting to 50 miles per hour. Not just in this part of the world but also in portions of extreme South Georgia and into parts of the part of Panhandle, where we have red flag warnings that will be in effect through the afternoon.
Speaking of fires, we even had brush fires in New Jersey yesterday. Here's some of the video for you on that from 12 News Jersey. And you can see, again, the flames popping up here and there. We're going to be dealing with some rain in New Jersey. So, that will certainly be good news.
Meanwhile, back to the weather computer, one more time, not only are we dealing with fire, but also some heavy snow mainly in to Montana, where they could see anywhere from one to two feet in the highest elevations.
That is your complete forecast. Let's send it back to you. Betty?
NGUYEN: All right, Reynolds. Thank you.
WOLF: Any time.
NGUYEN: You know, there is encouragement from the pope for children and their families dealing with disabilities: a special blessing for those facing physical challenges.
Also, though, on a lighter note, you can call it mass marketing. We're going to take a look at some of the official and unofficial souvenirs of the pope's visit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. This is a special edition of CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We're joining you live from New York.
And my partner, T. J. Holmes is actually at Yankee Stadium today, preparing for the huge mass that's going to take place there.
Good morning, T.J.
T.J. HOLMES, CO-HOST: Good morning. From the Bronx this morning, here at Yankee Stadium, right now, will be full of the faithful, right now, just of full of the sleepy, if you will. A lot of journalists have made their way over here.
I certainly hoped to be with you earlier this morning, Betty, right at the top of the hour, at 7:00 o'clock, but as we know, security has been tight here in New York for the pope's visit. And journalists got an early start this morning, about 4:00 o'clock, and we started making our way through a lot of security measures. We had to meet and be wanded, and patted down, poked and prodded, but we finally made our way over to our location.
Right now, a lot of journalists have gathered here, a lot of reporters. Thousands really have been gathering for the pope's trip. A lot of credentials have to be given out. So, right now, just journalists have made it here.
This will be full of the faithful, as I said, coming up at about 2:00 o'clock, 2:30 is when the papal mass does begin here. Pope Benedict will make his way over, expecting up to 60,000 people to fill this stadium here and to greet the pope when he gets here. The stage, you may be able to make out behind me right over the diamond really here at Yankee Stadium where the pope will be. And the stage where he'll be sitting, he'll be sitting right about on second base.
We'll see how that plays out today as well. But a big day here, kind of a gloomy day, not like the weather that you had at St. Patrick's Cathedral on yesterday. But, a lot happening with the pope's visit and a lot of people want to remember this visit.
A very special time right now and what better way to really remember it than maybe with a little trinket or something. A coffee mug, a bumper sticker, a key chain, whatever you want. But you might have a hard time finding a bobblehead doll of the pope.
Our Ed Henry reports on some of the official and the unofficial souvenirs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It puts new meaning into the term mass marketing, souvenirs for Pope Benedict's first official visit to America.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom, come on now. You didn't come all the way from Kentucky and not to get a picture with the pope.
HENRY: All kinds of trinkets sold at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, where the pope met with America's Catholic bishops during his U.S. tour. Rosaries, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, and then, what the gift shop manager calls his quirkiest item, a tour t-shirt.
DENNIS ZEIGLER, MANAGER, NATIONAL SHRINE SHOPS: It gives the different events that the pope is attending, similar to like a rockstar's concert t-shirt.
HENRY: Though any comparison of the pope to a rockstar rubs some Catholics the wrong way. RICK FOREST, TOURIST FROM MASSACHUSETTS: That doesn't show reverence to his office.
HENRY: Other Catholics got upset about unofficial merchandise -- everything from pope soap on a rope to pope cologne, and the inevitable bobblehead of the pope.
ANNOUNCER: Remember, let people get off of the train before you try to get on.
HENRY: The Metro in Washington used the bobblehead to try and encourage people to take public transportation to the pope's mass at Nationals Park. Some Catholics were outraged, saying it was sacrilegious to show the pope wearing the red cap of a cardinal when he only wears a white one. So, Metro pulled the ad.
(on camera): Sales were so brisk here at Nationals Park, and almost an hour after the pope celebrated mass, the souvenir stand were still mobbed with all kinds of shoppers. And all throughout the city all week, businesses were doing all they could to prepare for the big visit.
(voice-over): At the Ritz-Carlton in downtown D.C., the turndown service had a papal twist: fun facts about the pontiff. Down in the kitchen, the pastry chef labored over a special cake celebrating the pope's 81st birthday.
JEROME GIRARDOL, RITZ-CARLTON EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF: Fresh strawberries and vanilla (INAUDIBLE) cream. It's very light.
HENRY: So, there were plenty of decorations, but putting a bobblehead on this cake is one line the chef would not cross.
Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: So, there you have it. We'll expect a lot more of that here at Yankee Stadium today. Again, some 60,000, this will be the third mass really - the second big one he's had on this trip. Of course, he did Washington Nationals Stadium as you saw there with Ed Henry, expected here is 60,000.
They'll start letting people in here around 9:00 o'clock. So, we do expect company here among the journalists fairly soon. But a lot of people are going to be packed in here. So, they certainly want to get in here early and get a good spot. Well, the pope here at later today.
And coming up: We'll have more on this papal visit and a very busy schedule that he's had. We're going to be talking to our Vatican expert, of course.
Also ahead: Josh Levs looking at Catholicism around the world and how it compares to other religions.
Josh, good morning to you.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you. Hey, bring me back a bobblehead, OK?
HOLMES: Sure thing, they're hard to come by. Didn't you just see the piece?
LEVS: Yes, I know. I'm hearing you.
All right. So, coming up, we're going to take a look at this. How many Catholics are there in the world? How many Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews? The reality might surprise you. That will be right here at CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Welcome back, everybody to this special edition of CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Betty Nguyen in CNN's New York bureau. Hey there, T.J..
HOLMES: Good morning to you, Betty and everyone. I'm T.J. Holmes inside Yankee Stadium this morning. The gates opening at about 90 minutes from now. The Pope's mass actually happening at 2:30 Eastern but expecting some 60,000 to start filing in, again, around 9:00 this morning. This will be really one of the biggest moments of the Pope's trip. He's been here several days now, has stops in Washington, D.C. and have been here in New York for a couple of days now, and really this is one of the huge moments of his trip, the culmination really of the trip, this mass here at Yankee Stadium. So a lot more to come from here. But for now, I will hand it back over to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: You know, I'm here in the bureau with our senior Vatican correspondent John Allen. He's been following the Pope's tour and providing insight and a lot of background. We were out at St. Patrick's Cathedral yesterday during that really historic mass. But today, you know, it seems like at every stop the Pope continues to make history. Today, he's going to ground zero. What message is he sending to the American public?
JOHN ALLEN, CNN, SENIOR VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Betty, I noticed once again you're wearing your Cardinal Red this morning. So you're definitely in the spirit of the trip. First of all, this morning, as you know, he's stopping at Ground Zero, which I think from the Pope's point of view is one of those towering symbols of evil in the modern world. I mean, I think he would put it in the category of Auschwitz and the Soviet gulags as a testament of man's inhumanity to man. So, I would - first of all, he's not giving a speech but he is going to read a prayer that he had prepared for the occasion. I would expect the topic to be prayer for the victims and the first responders who lost their lives there, prayer for the survivors and the families. But also at a sort of deeper level, a prayer that all those who are tempted by hatred and by violence will somehow experience a conversion of heart.
NGUYEN: And then from there he goes on to Yankee Stadium, which is really such a huge event. We're looking at about 60,000 people who are going to come out and celebrate mass with the Pope. This is a gigantic production.
ALLEN: Yes, that's absolutely right. This is a an enormous logistical enterprise, but I suspect, as we saw in Nationals Park in Washington the other day, it will probably come off without a hitch. I mean, bear in mind the Vatican has done about 150 of these papal trips by now. And I would suspect if the Pope holds to form when he travels, what we'll hear this morning in his homily, which of course is the sermon he will deliver during the mass, will probably be a recapitulation in the sense of the main themes that he has hit throughout the trip.
NGUYEN: Like we saw yesterday at St. Patrick's Cathedral?
ALLEN: Well, remember the St. Patrick's was addressed to, in a sense to a more narrow audience, the clergy. And today is his last message to the American people writ large.
NGUYEN: (inaudible) similar topics, the sex abuse scandal? You think he's going to hit on that today?
ALLEN: Probably not in as great a depth. I do think he will mention it. It will probably be sort of a checklist almost. I mean, things we have heard from him. And the big level things like the role of religion in public life. More specifically, things like being welcoming to immigrants, the fact that the American Catholic Church is a church of immigrants in many ways. So in other words, this is sort of his swan song in his American tour.
NGUYEN: Later this evening, he'll be boarding a plane and heading back. John Allen, thank you so much for joining us. We'll be talking with you shortly. T.J.
HOLMES: Well, Betty, the Pope's visit to Ground Zero today really promises to be one of the most poignant moments of his trip. Another happened yesterday at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES (voice-over): The Pope gave a special blessing to a group of children with disabilities. In his remarks, he offered words of encouragement.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: Sometimes it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet your faith helps us. It opens our eyes beyond your own selves in order to see life as God does. God's unconditional love surpasses every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the Pope told the children it was a special joy to spend time with them. And if you are noticing behind me right now, a lot of the music starting to play here. They are still doing a lot of mike checks and getting things ready for the Pope's visit. Again, people won't start filing in here for another hour and a half or so. But a lot of mike checks, a lot of things need to happen to fill in 60,000 people in this place to conduct this huge mass. And again, I'm at Yankee Stadium, going to be filling up in a few hours.
We're talking 60,000 here for this mass. And most of those 60,000 will be Catholics. Well, just how big is Catholicism in the world? Our own Josh Levs, Mr. Reality himself, has been looking into that for us. Good morning to you, again, sir.
LEVS: Hey, good morning. Yes, it seemed like a right time to take a big perspective of the world, look at how many Catholics there are in the world, how many Christians, Moslems, Jews. We don't have a sense of this and have a lot of guesses that were a little bit off.
So, I know it's first thing in the morning but what I'm going to do here. We have a pretty graphic I'm going to show you that breaks down for you religions all over the world. And I've learned from experience people want all the major ones listed, and you'll pick out the ones that interest you the most. But let me talk to you through some of these. You got about 6.6 billion people in the world. A third of humanity is Christian. Next biggest group out there is the Muslims, which were about 20% of the world. Then you start shrinking. Hindus, you can see there, 13% of the world, Buddhists has 6%. Sikhs, just a fraction of a percent. Jews, 0.2%, really, really small. About 12% of the world doesn't affiliate. And 2% say they are atheists. They take a position and say that they are atheists.
But if you look at that, you can see, you know, the biggest group in the world religiously, in terms of affiliation, by far, one-third of the world are Christians. All right. Let's move on. I want to boil this down to actual numbers for you. Here you go. Since it's about a third of the world, 2.2 billion people are Christian, and about half are Roman Catholic. So, we're talking about one in six people are part of the Roman Catholic church. As you follow the Pope, as you see what's going on today in New York, you can keep this in mind, that about one in six of humanity, about one in six people in the world are part of that church. And they do affiliate in some way with the Roman Catholic church.
Just in case you're interested, other Christian groups out there. There's about 400 million Protestants in the world. There are about 240 million Orthodox Christians and 84 million Anglicans. And all this is from the World Fact Book which keeps us with this every year. You can get a sense of just how huge, T.J., the Roman Catholic church is when you're talking about this entire world, one out of six people affiliating with that church.
HOLMES: You're talking about the world and the numbers there. It will seem like a whole lot of Christians inside Yankee Stadium today. What's the breakdown really outside of Yankee Stadium? In the U.S., what's the breakdown?
LEVS: OK. The U.S. is kind of different. I'm glad you asked that. We have a nice one for that too. In the U.S., it is different. You don't find half of Christians are Roman Catholics in the U.S. and you can look at our history to see why. That right there is the big breakdown. You look at the circle there, half the country is Protestant. Half the United States is Protestant. And about a quarter of the United States is Roman Catholic.
So, when you talk about the Pope visiting the United States, about one in four Americans are a part of the Roman Catholic church. And after that, everything shrinks big-time. You can see Jews, Mormons, less than 2%. And then the Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus, all less than 1%. So, really tiny portions of America. So again, today, you're following the Pope. Roman Catholic church, about one in four Americans, T.J...
HOLMES: Josh Levs, Mr. Reality, with the breakdown this morning. Thank you so much, Josh. We'll see you a little later this morning. And Betty, I'll hand it over to you. Betty, you got lucky yesterday with a very nice weather outside St. Patrick's Cathedral for that mass. But the outdoor mass ironically is the one that's going to have a little tougher weather. It's a little cool. We're expecting the rain maybe to hold off. But right now, we got a little mist in the air, a little foggy, and a little cold right now.
NGUYEN: Oh, I don't want to hear any complaints. You're at Yankee Stadium, OK.
HOLMES: Not a complaint at all.
NGUYEN: All right. We'll be checking in with you shortly.
Let's get you some politics right now. And just two days of campaigning left before Pennsylvanians finally cast their votes. Voters there have many more opportunities to see the candidates and make up their minds before Tuesday's primary. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - well they are blanketing the state with campaign events. Together they made over ten stops yesterday. Obama has two events today, and Clinton has at least three. Be sure to tune in to CNN's Election Center Tuesday night for the Pennsylvania primary election results. The best political team on television brings you results like no one else beginning at 7:00 Eastern followed by a special edition of "Larry King Live" at midnight.
And you can join "Rick on the road" again tonight. CNN's Rick Sanchez will be live in Philadelphia for a special two-hour show on the Pennsylvania primary. He'll be talking with the state's top political movers and shakers and regular folks in coffee shops about this important vote. That's "Rick on the Road" tonight from 10:00 until midnight Eastern. After Pennsylvania, though, we will be watching Indiana and North Carolina. Site of the next two primaries May 6th. Now, early voting has already begun in North Carolina and runs through May 3rd. North Carolina allows new voters to both register and vote at the same time. Coming up, going and nowhere fast. Dozens of drivers stranded along the highway, and they're not out of gas. Oh, no. They filled their tanks with bad gas. We have those details right after this.
HOLMES: Well, that doesn't sound good. Also ahead this morning, the media circus surrounding the Pope's visit. There is no clowning around, however, for the man, one man in charge of coordinating it all. That story, minutes away. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: He is friends with Donald Trump, a self-made millionaire, and wrote a best-seller. And today, he's got family financial advice that is "Right on your Money." At issue, teaching kids about money. Christine Romans reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Entrepreneur Robert Kiyosaki took what he learned as a kid and then taught others with his number one "New York Times" bestseller "Rick Dad, Poor Dad."
ROBERT KIYOSAKI, ENTREPRENEUR: My rich dad taught me to be a rich man playing Monopoly. So, as a little child, I got the formula. I understood financial responsibility, discipline, cash flow. I learned so much just by having fun.
ROMANS: But teaching kids about money isn't always child's play. Kiyosaki says it's important to give them some real world lessons.
KIYOSAKI: A thing a parent might do is ask them to write down everything they spend their money on so they can see where it goes. And it's a great way to teach them what money is for, what they're doing to learn the spending habits.
ROMANS: Kiyosaki says children's financial education is the key.
KIYOSAKI: I suggest be forthright, be frank. You know, teach kids the vocabulary of money. Do you know the difference between an asset and a liability? Cash flow versus capital gains. It's not that hard to understand. That's what my rich dad taught me.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Listen to this story. There is a gas problem in New Jersey. AAA indicates they have the lowest average gas price in the country, but for dozens of drivers it was no bargain. Look at this. They got bad gas. Actually stuck on the side of roads. Officials say the gas had water in it, and that caused their cars to conk out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just sputtered, and that was it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The car just stopped.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The car started shaking first, and it stopped right from here to there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm hoping they pay me my money back for all the problems that I'm going to end up having with my car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: No joke. Well, officials say the bad gas was shipped to ten stations around the state from a Linden-based distributor. Most of the stations, well, they are back in service this morning.
We do have some fire warnings in several states to tell you about. CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is in the Severe Weather Center. All right. So we go from blizzard conditions to flooding and now fire.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN, METEOROLOGIST: Yes, the ying and the yang. A little bit of mix of everything, isn't it? Well, Betty, look at this map behind me. From the U.S.-Canadian border clear down to the four corners, we've got fire watches and warnings. It's a big mess. The reason we have this is because a very low humidity, very low dew points, and you've got, at the same time pretty strong winds, especially in parts of the four corners.
Take a look at this. Winds gusting at 50 miles per hour. So, you've got really dry foliage and when you have the winds kicking up can actually spread the flames and can cause issues like this. Take a look at this video that we have for you from New Mexico. And it spreads quickly. This is near Mountainair, New Mexico. These brush fires, higher elevations. Yes, that forced the heat rises. So what you see in the highest hills is going to begin to burn out too. Let's go back to the weather computer. It's not only out west we're dealing with the problems.
In Georgia, central Georgia, and into northern Florida right along the i-10 corridor, and if you take say 75, route 95 south into Orlando, much of the central part is under the red flag warnings and watches throughout the rest of the weekend. Again, big fire issues around much of the nation. Betty, let's send it back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.
Well, today the weather is not fantastic as it was yesterday, but still not a bad day for the Pope to be out at Yankee Stadium, where T.J. Holmes, my partner, is today wearing that coat. A little chilly.
HOLMES: It is a little chilly today. We were saying it's ironic the indoor mass yesterday had beautiful weather outside. But today, the outdoor mass has some questionable weather. But expecting the rain to hold off, just a little chilly. Certainly, going to warm up a bit as the mass starts around 2:00. yes, you will be able to watch that as Pope Benedict celebrates mass here at Yankee Stadium.
CNN is going to bring you that live. Again, around 2:00 today. But you have any idea what it really takes to get an event like this on TV. We're going to show you what it takes a little later. Also a little later, youngsters in Kentucky get a once in a lifetime chance to see the Pope, see the trip through their eyes. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: You watched the papal mass live at St. Patrick's Cathedral live on CNN. And this is what it looked like afterwards on Fifth Avenue. Look at all those people. These are overhead photos that were taken by the New York City Police Department. In fact, you can see the Popemobile as it and the motorcade that followed it passed by thousands of people lining the streets on a beautiful spring day in New York City. Not as pretty today, but I think they're going to do just fine out there at Yankee Stadium. T.J., as we were talking about, you know, 3,000 inside the cathedral, you're looking at more like 60,000 where you are.
HOLMES: Up to 60,000 people, who, of course, as you know, Betty, from the energy we've seen here in New York City, this weather is not going to bother them one bit. People so excited to see the Pope. And he's here and so many will get to see him. Like I said, 60,000. He's still a tough ticket. And last night or yesterday, those pictures we just saw of the Pope there on Fifth Avenue that afternoon, papal parade, if you will, that was the only time a lot of people who could show up on the street and get a glimpse of him. So, a lot of energy there yesterday.
And again, later today you will be able to watch the papal mass live here from Yankee Stadium. But bringing you that signal, bringing that into your home is not nearly as simple, is not nearly as easy as it might look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): While there is, of course, just one Pope, he's followed by some 6,000 journalists covering his every move in the U.S. after getting their credentials and background checks, someone has to coordinate all of their demands. Everything from the location where reporters can go live to parking spaces designated for satellite trucks. It seems like it would take some team to keep it all straight. Meet the team.
MARK KRAMER, PAPAL VISIT MEDIA COORDINATOR: I have a very small team. You're looking at it.
HOLMES: Mark Cramer is it, a retired producer tapped by CBS to run the show. Perhaps his greatest challenge is pulling together the resources of 23 different broadcast outlets.
KRAMER: But the difference here is that the people who established this pool are a very large number. Normally I deal with five networks. In the old days, it was four. Before that, it was three. But now, we're talking 23. So when we get on a pool phone call, there are 23 disparate opinions about how we should do this or that, and it makes it a challenge.
HOLMES: This is another one of his major challenges, Yankee Stadium, the centerpiece of the Pope's trip where 60,000 are expected to attend Sunday mass.
KRAMER: Because it takes a large production crew to work there, we have a lot of people to organize and coordinate. We have to deal with security issues, and they are incredible.
HOLMES: Kramer says many of the security issues are not necessarily unique to New York, but rather part of the post-9/11 world.
KRAMER: It's just the level of care that the security forces are taking to make sure that everything goes smoothly. We have to jump through hoops six or seven times. In the old days, yes, you'd get mugged, and fine you got your badge, you're gone. But it's a different story now and it makes everything we do, everything we do harder.
HOLMES: Things are a bit harder also for security officials but not just because it's the Pope but because of the Pope's schedule.
RAYMOND W. KELLY, N.Y. POLICE COMMISSIONER: I mean, we do an awful lot when heads of state are here. I think the Pope -- the itinerary is somewhat different. There are three days of events. There are many events, and there's a lot of public exposure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And so, again, as you just heard there from Commissioner Kelly, they're used to doing heads of state. They're used to protecting heads of state here in town, but because of the unique nature of the Pope's visit -- he's here over several days, he's at different venues, he's moving around -- makes it pretty tricky, of course, Betty. And we know about the security as well. You went through it yesterday. You were hustling trying to get to your location yesterday. Tell my bosses, I was not late this morning. It's just what we had to go through to get through security really. We had to show up at 4:00 at one location, had to be mugged, had to get bags through. Then we had to take about four or five chartered buses over here. So, it was not pretty, but we made it.
NGUYEN: Well, that's really the story behind the story because, as you had your difficulties today, we had our difficulties yesterday. You get there when they tell to you get there, and then nothing's ready. And so, by the time you get to your location where we're trying to broadcast, you have 15 minutes to try to get on the air. So, it's a bit of a scramble, but we're glad to see you live. We'll be talking to you a lot today, T.J..
HOLMES: We did make it. Of course, they have a tough job to get it handled, but we made it here, and they had a lot to coordinate. So, nothing against the folks putting this together. They had a heck of a job. So, a reminder still, folks, CNN's live coverage of the Pope celebrating mass here at Yankee Stadium, begins at 2:00 Eastern time. Just about 90 minutes from now we'll have live coverage of the Pope at Ground Zero. So, you want to make sure you stick around for that.
And next we are going to meet some teenagers who traveled thousands of miles for this once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the pontiff. A look at their pilgrimage. Coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Kelly Clarkson there. That's the first "American Idol" winner many of you will recognize. She was performing at the youth rally at St. Joseph's seminary in Yonkers New York yesterday. 25,000 young people were there to see the Pope. And one group traveled from Kentucky on a once in a lifetime opportunity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was one of six people to be chosen to come on this trip. To see the Pope.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just kind of got chosen to be a part of it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was really the best. It's another adventure. I'm really excited to go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: so we got randomly selected, and here we are.
UNIDENTIFIEF FEMALE: I'm pretty sure it's going to be a life- changing experience. I mean, I'm seeing the Pope. Come on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's 49 of us and there's 49 seats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, really excited. I'm going to go see the Pope.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get on the bus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really don't know what to expect. I'm going to go in there with open ears and hope for the best.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go. Oh, god, please be with us as we travel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been Catholic my whole life. And so the Pope has always been somebody you look up to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact that I'm going as a youth is really exciting. So, I get to do...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, continue to bless our country, and may the mass we'll attend tomorrow remind us of him and of the goodness that is present in our society.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, people get to say I've seen him. And it also gives me a great chance to meet new people and that's another adventure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't go over to Italy and Rome pilgrimage as well as I can do now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's worth it. 13 hours or whatever on the bus. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Part of me, a little bit of New York.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being in his presence will be really awesome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Another historic day here in New York, Yankee Stadium, the site of history today where Pope Benedict XVI will be celebrating mass before a huge crowd, up to 60,000 people expected and CNN will bring you live coverage and good morning to you from inside Yankee Stadium. This is a special edition of CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, T.J. And good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in CNN's New York bureau.
It's also a big day on the campaign trail. With only two days until the Pennsylvania primary, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are scrambling for votes. We're live on the campaign trail this morning.
And today, as we've said, it's a very busy day, a big day for Pope Benedict XVI as he wraps up his first U.S. visit 90 minutes from now. He'll lead a prayer service at ground zero in Lower Manhattan. Just a moment, we'll be speaking with CNN's Richard Roth who is at the site.
This afternoon, the pope celebrates mass for about 60,000 people, as we say it, here, at Yankee Stadium. Our live coverage of that event begins at 2:00 o'clock Eastern Time. And the pope wraps up his first trip to America tonight at 8:00 Eastern with the departure ceremony at JFK Airport here in New York.
We do want to head now to Lower Manhattan, that's the site of the 9/11 attacks here in New York. The pope will perform a blessing ceremony there in about an hour and a half.
CNN's Richard Roth is there for us this morning.
Good morning, Richard.
ROTH: Good morning, T.J.
Of course, Yankee Stadium where you are, St. Patrick's Cathedral - these are historic landmarks. And that the turn of this century, nobody would have known what ground zero was. If someone said the pope was stopping there, unfortunately we all know that too well. We're here at ground zero where nearly 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001.
And Pope Benedict XVI will go down a ramp into the construction area there. He will be with a select group of family members, some victims who survived in the rubble there in 9/11 and rescue workers and he will deliver a blessing.
I asked New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly about the stop here by the pope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAYMOND W. KELLY, NYPD COMMISSIONER: Ground zero, I think it means a lot to the city. You know, we had thousands of people killed there. We had police officers, firefighters in great numbers killed there. So, it means a lot to the first responders and it means a lot to the city.
ROTH: What is your opinion of the pope offering a prayer for the terrorists?
KELLY: Well, you know, the pope is concerned about world peace and I think that's what he is -- and every pope is attempting to facilitate that. So, you know, I see nothing unusual about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: The pope is going to light a candle there and it will be a very brief, solemn stop here lasting about 30 to 40 minutes. I asked Vatican reporter and analyst, John Allen to reflect on the pope's stop here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: One level, I think, for Benedict XVI, ground zero is one of those sort of ultimate monuments to man's inhumanity to man. That is, a sort of towering symbol of evil. And so, I think, he is going to pray for -- first of all, for the victims and their families, but perhaps more deeply for a conversion of hearts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: I mentioned that a small group of family members of those who died here will be allowed to go with the pope into that area, as one of the victims put it, "It was a lottery I wish never hoped to win." T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. Richard Roth for us there. That moment, that ground zero will look a lot different from the other moments we've seen in a papal visit, a lot of pageantry surrounding the pope's visit, a lot excitement. That will not be one of those times. Richard Roth, we'll check in with you again.
Meanwhile they are the young, they are the faithful. Pope Benedict spent time with tens of thousands of young people at a rally in Yonkers, New York yesterday.
The story now from CNN's Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Score one for the Vatican. Having recording artist, Kelly Clarkson as the warm-up for Pope Benedict, hinting (ph) out to the world the image of a new church for a new century. The Holy Father then got serious, describing in sobering detail his own teenaged years to the thousands of young Catholics on hand. Those are the years Pope Benedict spent in the Hitler youth and the German army during World War II. The pope has long said he was forced into those roles, roles he made clear he rejects.
POPE BENEDICT XVI, CATHOLIC CHURCH: Its influence grew - infiltrating schools and civic bodies as well as politics and even the religion -- before it was fully recognized for the monster it was.
ACOSTA: It was another example of the pope's concerted effort to get real with American Catholics, speaking openly about his own past, just as he addressed the church's own dark history of child sexual abuse.
At the nation's most well known Catholic house of worship, St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, he again called on the greater church to rid itself of abusive priests.
POPE BENEDICT XVI: I join in praying that this will be the time of purification for each and every particular church and religious community, and a time for healing. And I also encourage you to cooperate with your bishops who continue to work effectively to resolve this issue.
CROWD CHANTING: We love you! We love you! We love you!
POPE BENEDICT XVI: Thank you.
ACOSTA: And it was that message of healing the pope carried with him to this youth rally. He blessed a group of disabled children and sought to inspire a crowd of young seminary students preparing for life in the priesthood.
Again, it was another attempt to grapple with another challenge facing U.S. Catholics: recruiting young men to give their lives to Christ.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're responding to his visit, and that they are looking to him, to see him, especially to hear his words which are so inspiring.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And right on queue, it seems, the microphone checks continue behind me here at Yankee Stadium. The festivities get underway around 2:00 o'clock Eastern Time today. But, of course, people will start filing in at around 9:00 and a lot of work goes into putting together something like this, you see an empty stadium now, but, again, up to 60,000 people, even though that many people will be here, those were still a pretty tough tickets to get.
So, a lot of people are lucky that they will be able to participate, but the work continues right now and as you hear, that mike check happens right on queue here. Again, 60,000 later this afternoon here at Yankee Stadium, but for now, I will hand it back over to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, those are tough tickets to get. In fact, I think they were given out on a lottery basis, and you could not sell them, because, of course, T.J., that would be a sin, right?
HOLMES: That would be. That would not be right. So, these are not found on eBay and anywhere.
NGUYEN: Hopefully not. All right, T.J., thank you. We'll be talking with you shortly.
All right. So, let's tell you about this because Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, she is in Baghdad at this hour. Yes, Rice made an unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital for meetings with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other top Iraqi officials.
CNN's Jill Dougherty joins us now live from Baghdad with the latest. This, indeed, was a surprise to all of us, Jill.
DOUGHERTY: It was, Betty, and that's because of security of course, U.S. officials don't announce as a rule that they are coming here precisely for that reason.
As you mentioned, she will be meeting with government officials, the prime minister, the U.S. ambassador and others important here. And one other thing that she'll be doing is honoring the U.S. civilians and employees of the State Department who recently have been killed in the Green Zone because of indirect fire coming into the Green Zone.
Why was that fire coming in? Well it's coming from the fighting, very intense fighting that's going on very close to where she is right now. And that is in the neighborhood of Baghdad that's called Sadr City.
Right there, there are Iraqi troops backed up by American troops fighting the so-called Mehdi militia. They are supporters of the radical Shiite cleric. His name is Muqtada al Sadr. And that is really the drama that's unfolding right now, that violent clash between Muqtada al Sadr and the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government.
It began, a lot of this - it began several weeks, when the government decided to move into a city in the south of Iraq, Basra and carry out an operation to clean up some of the Mehdi Army. And the fighting spread all over the country. That would look bad.
But the -- Secretary Rice is saying actually, "If you look at what happened after that, it was good." Her argument would be that the operation was criticized very much as being disorganized, not planned, et cetera. But she says that ultimately, it brought people together in the government from various ethnic groups, et cetera, political groups, more strongly.
She also says that one of the main purposes she's here in Baghdad is to urge the Sunnis and the Kurds, those other ethnic groups to come together with the Maliki government. And then finally, Betty, another moment -- a dramatic one in all of this is right at this point where you have that showdown between al Sadr and the government - a warning, a shot over the bow by a parliamentarian who was on the side of al Sadr, saying that if you want to shut down our militia, disbanding it will mean the end of the prime minister's government. Betty?
NGUYEN: And we learned that that is what al Sadr is calling his final warning. So, we'll be watching this very closely.
Jill Dougherty is joining us live from Baghdad. Thank you, Jill.
We want to turn you now to the campaign trail and the tight race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both are in Pennsylvania again today, ahead of Tuesday's important primary.
CNN's Mary Snow joins us live from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the site of one of Senator Clinton's events today.
Mary, talk to us about the issue of health care because that is really taking center stage this weekend.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really is, Betty, and not just a tight race, but an increasingly heated one in this final weekend before Tuesday's primary. What happened yesterday was that Senator Obama's campaign launched a TV ad taking direct aim at Senator Clinton's health care plan.
Here's a little bit of what the ad said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Hillary Clinton's attacking, but what's she not telling you about her health care plan? It forces everyone to buy insurance, even if you can't afford it, and you pay a penalty if you don't. Barack Obama believes it's not that people don't want health care, it's that they can't afford it. That's why the Obama plan reduces costs more than hers...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: And Senator Clinton fired back quickly saying that the ad is misleading and she was out on the campaign trail yesterday answering for her health care plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D-NY) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And he is attacking me with a new ad that he has put up because I do cover everyone with more misleading everyone information. You know, he always says in his speeches that he's running a positive campaign, but then, his campaign does the opposite. But rather than attacking the problem, he'd rather attack my solution.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SNOW: And Senator Clinton also taking kind of an indirect aim at her opponent by saying she doesn't want to just show up and in her words give "whoop-di-do" speeches saying she needs to focus on what has to be done for the country starting on Tuesday. Of course, the state of the Pennsylvania primary, she's focusing a lot of her talk yesterday about the economy, also education efforts.
Now, for his part, Senator Obama campaigned in Pennsylvania on a train trip. He went from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and that he is saying Senator Clinton is guilty of in his word "slash and burn" politics, that she is throwing the "kitchen sink" at him and he says that is taking away, distracting the conversation from the real issues.
As you can see, Betty, this is getting increasingly heated, as they -- both candidates canvass this state and really scramble for votes. Betty?
NGUYEN: Well, a lot is on the line in Pennsylvania. And that leads me to this question for you, Mary, how important is a decisive win for Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania?
SNOW: Well, you know, there was so much talk that she would have a huge lead here in Pennsylvania. These polls have tightened to within about a five to six-point lead for Senator Clinton. And it's very important for her to have a strong showing in order for her to show that she is a viable candidate going into the next primaries of North Carolina and Indiana.
Now, what the Clinton campaign is saying is that, "Yes, that lead has eroded," but they're saying, "Look, we expected it because Senator Obama has been spending so much money." Of course, the Obama camp is saying that he able to really tighten the gap and that Senator Clinton has such a wide lead. So, they're trying to portray her as a weaker candidate.
NGUYEN: All right. Mary Snow, joining us live from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Thank you, Mary.
And you can join "Rick on the Road" again tonight. Yes, CNN's Rick Sanchez is going to be live in Philadelphia for a two-hour special on the Pennsylvania primary. He'll be talking with the state's top political movers and shakers and regular folks in coffee shops about this important vote. That's "Rick on the Road" tonight from 10:00 until midnight Eastern Time.
You'll also want to be sure to tune in to CNN's Election Center on Tuesday night for the Pennsylvania primary election results. The best political team on television brings you results like no one else in the business, beginning at 7:00 Eastern, followed by a special edition of LARRY KING LIVE at midnight.
A former president is stirring up more controversy: Jimmy Carter is in the Middle East continuing his so-called "personal peace tour," but who he's talking to is rubbing some people the wrong way. Plus: Check it out, wildfires. Firefighters got a reprieve yesterday, but changing conditions today could mean more charred land in New Mexico.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Here are some of the other stories that we are following this morning for you. Former President Jimmy Carter is in Saudi Arabia today after leaving Syria. Carter met with Syria's president on Friday and with Hamas leaders for a second time on Saturday. Carter has called it "his personal peace tour," but officials from the U.S. and Israel have criticized Carter for meeting with members of Hamas, a group they consider a terrorist organization.
Check it out. Fire rages through a nightclub in Ecuador, at least 14 people were killed trying to get out of the club's padlocked doors. Sixteen others were injured. Fire investigators say the blaze started when someone lit fireworks. Now, they're investigating the club's security procedures.
Back here at home: There are more fires burning both in the east and out west. Crews are battling wildfires in central and southern New Mexico trying to get the upper hand before the winds kick up today.
And in New Jersey: Dozens of people were evacuated because of a brush fire. That fire is now contained. That's a good news.
In Montana though, a wildfire threatened 40 to 50 homes west of Billings. No houses were damaged.
So, let's see what Reynolds Wolf has to say about this wildfire danger today. Hopefully, the winds will die down and maybe some folks will get the rain that they need to help battle those flames.
WOLF: I don't think they're going to get much assistance out west, unfortunately, Betty. We've got, as you mentioned, these red flag warnings from U.S.-Canadian border clear (ph) down to the four corners, we have the low humidity, low dew points, the strong winds, some winds over the four corners, gusting to 50 miles per hour.
But the only issue isn't in west, as you mentioned, it's also in parts of Georgia and in north and central part -- red flag warnings, through the weekend.
Meanwhile, we're seeing snow out in parts of the west. In fact through parts of Idaho and back into Montana, we have a potential one to two feet in the highest elevations and six to 10 inches of snowfall near Great Falls. And then back towards the east, we're seeing those scattered showers, some of those raindrops eventually moving to New Jersey, which will certain help the fire problems there. But in New York we're expecting the fog to stick around for the next hour or so and then sky should to begin to clear out a little bit highs going into the mid-60s.
Back to you. NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.
Let me take you back outside now to T.J. Holmes, where it's a little chilly at Yankee Stadium. But don't worry, things are going to warm up a little bit later today.
HOLMES: They absolutely will, but the folks that are going to be gathered here, they don't care what happens with the weather today, they're not worried about it. And even though the Yankees, today, are out of town, they're playing at Baltimore today, but would you know, it's still a big day here at Yankee Stadium. I guess you can call it a game today.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This distribution of Holy Communion may be described in four possible scenarios. The first is at field level. Notice how the communion in the upper deck of the stadium. It is important -
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HOLMES: Yes, probably not what you were thinking when you think game day at Yankee Stadium and you're usually not thinking about this. We'll explain what you're looking at there, taking a look at the prep work behind this afternoon's papal mass.
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HOLMES: As you're seeing there, a beautiful shot of an empty Yankee Stadium this morning that will be packed with 60,000 people about 2:00 o'clock this afternoon when we do have the papal mass. Pope Benedict making his first trip to the U.S., is making a stop in New York and at Yankee Stadium, where he will have a mass for up to 60,000 of the faithful.
Well, if this is a mass, how exactly do you serve communion to all those folks? And all those people, those 60,000 are actually going to be in bleachers, so some special challenges there that took some practice.
There was a video that was posted on the Archdiocese of New York's Web site and it shows some of the rehearsals. Take a look, take a listen.
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ANNOUNCER: This distribution of Holy Communion may be described in four possible scenarios. The first is at field level. Notice how the communion in the upper deck of the stadium. It is important that the -
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HOLMES: Yes. Field level, upper deck, extreme upper deck -- each location in the stadium presents it's own unique challenges so it did take some practice, they were trying to get people there to maybe take a look at that. But they will have people placed all over the stadium to serve communion, 60,000, really, that we are expecting here.
Those 60,000 are pretty lucky to get their hands on tickets to this event. There was high demand for this event here at the stadium. But you can't get tickets on Ticketmaster, Stub Hub, you can't walk outside the stadium and hold up two fingers, like a guy (ph) can come to you and say you need ticket, you can't get from a friend, you can't get them from anywhere really.
CNN's Susan Roesgen reports on getting in to see the pope.
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SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Getting a golden ticket to a papal mass this week seems about as miraculous as finding the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Just one ticket is hard enough to get, but six tickets required divine intervention.
Six "truly golden" tickets for Katie and Kevin Teehan and their four children. The whole family will celebrate mass with the pope in New York's Yankee Stadium.
KATIE TEEHAN, FAMILY TO ATTEND PAPAL MASS: I thought there's no way that we're going to get six tickets. We don't get six tickets to anything.
ROESGEN: About 100,000 tickets were available for the two papal mass in New York and Washington. But it's estimated that four times that many people applied to get one. According to the New York archdiocese, each ticket holder had to pass a background check and each ticket is imprinted with a bar code to prevent it from being sold or even given away.
KEVIN TEEHAN, FAMILY TO ATTEND PAPAL MASS: I think I want to keep those close. Those are valuable tickets. We are very blessed to have them and, I think, I'm going to keep them real close.
ROESGEN: Some parish priests give tickets to their flock on a "first come, first serve" basis. Others chose parishioners to make what Father Lewinski calls a pilgrimage, little pilgrims included. That's how the Teehans got there.
REV. RON LEWINSKI, ST. MARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION: Sometimes for kids, it's just in a textbook, but to be there, present in that stadium with the pope and all those people, I think, will give them a whole different framework for understanding what it means to be a Catholic.
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HOLMES: So, yes, a tough ticket to get and no one giving up those tickets today. Sixty thousand strong, we are expecting in this stadium. They will start filing in around 9:00 o'clock for the mass which starts about at 2:00. Well, bring your camera today at Yankee Stadium. If you are coming here, yes, CNN, we have got it covered here, but we can only move around so much. So, help us tell the story and take some pictures and send them in to us at CNN. We'll have a look at some of the iReports that we've received so far. That's just ahead.
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