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Biden Diagnosed With Aggressive Prostate Cancer That Has Spread To His Bones; House Budget Committee To Hold Rare Sunday Vote For Trump Agenda; Manhunt For New Orleans Jailbreak Expands To Other States; Biden Diagnosed With "Aggressive" Prostate Cancer, Has Spread To His Bones; Ukraine: Russia Launches Largest Drone Attack Of The War; Pope Leo XIV Celebrates His Inaugural Mass. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired May 18, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:01]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in New York.

We begin this hour with breaking news, as former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with what his personal office says is an aggressive form of prostate cancer. They say that cancer has spread to his bones.

CNN's senior reporter Betsy Klein and CNN correspondent Arlette Saenz both joining us now.

And, Arlette, let's start first with you. Walk us through what the former president's office has shared about his diagnosis and what we know.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jess, former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. That's according to a statement that was released by his office this afternoon to provide some timeline on this. We learned on Monday that Biden was being evaluated for a small nodule that was found on his prostate, and then it was on Friday when he received this official diagnosis.

I want to read you the statement from his office, which said, "Last week President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer characterized by a Gleason score of nine, grade group five, with metastasis to the bone. While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone sensitive, which allows for effective management."

They go on to say that the former president and his family will now be evaluating potential treatment options with a team of physicians. Now this small nodule was found during a routine physical. That is something a spokesperson had told me last week. We know the last physical that Biden had when he was president was back in 2024. At that time, his physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, had determined and written that he was fit for duty and fully execute all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations.

The former president right now is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, but there will be big questions for them going forward as they're trying to evaluate the next steps and what treatment options he might try to pursue.

Now, this all comes at a time when the former president's physical and mental health had been back in the spotlight, as there is a forthcoming reporting in a book from one of our colleagues, Jake Tapper, that talks about signs of physical and mental decline that we're seeing in the former president while he was still in office.

Biden was the oldest president to serve. He left office at the age of 82 and was dogged throughout his presidency about questions and concerns about his age and his health and his mental capacity.

Now, for President Biden and his family, this is a very tragic situation and really caps off a lifetime of tragedies for the former president. He had lost his daughter and wife in a car accident when he had just been elected to the Senate, and then back in 2015, his son, Beau Biden, passed away from brain cancer. In fact, someone just reminded me that the 10-year anniversary of Beau Biden passing will actually be May 30th.

So this is a very difficult period for President Biden and his family. Just when you think about the fact that it's around the anniversary of Beau's passing and now Biden himself will be fighting this disease as well. He had made one of his key platforms while he was in office, the need to end cancer. Back in 2016, President Barack Obama in the State of the Union had announced that Biden would be spearheading the Cancer Moonshot to try to reduce cancer.

When Biden came to the White House in 2021, both he and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, fully embraced that, and they did a lot of work to try to provide additional funding for cancer research, as they have seen it personally impact them and personally impact so many people that they know.

You know, I've heard from many aides this afternoon who are quite devastated and saddened by this news that they are learning, but people are very quick to point out that Joe Biden has always been a fighter. That is something that a senator was just texting me a short while ago, and they feel like this is something that he will meet with resilience.

But of course, many people's thoughts and prayers right now are with the Biden family as they are wrapping their arms around this devastating diagnosis.

DEAN: Certainly, Arlette.

And Betsy, you're there at the White House. What has the reaction been to this news is it's made its way through society?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT AND WRITER: That's right. I mean, so many statements of support and concern from aides to allies to former staffers and also on the other side of the aisle. We have heard statements offering prayers from former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and from the current Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

[19:05:05]

And we got a statement from President Trump, who is spending the weekend here in Washington after his trip to the Middle East. He said in a post to social media, quote, "Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery."

Of course, the two of them have had such a contentious relationship over the past few years. They were last seen together back in April for the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, and President Trump has not shied away from using former President Biden, his predecessor, as a foil. Even on the road and in the Middle East during that trip just last week, he frequently and personally attacked the former president in quite striking terms, ignoring those long held norms against disparaging a political opponent on foreign soil.

We are also hearing from the former vice president, Kamala Harris, of course the president's former running mate as well as a close ally. She said in a post to social media, "Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr. Biden and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. Joe is a fighter and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery."

And just moments ago we heard from former secretary of State and former 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. She said, "I'm thinking of the Bidens as they take on cancer, a disease they've done so much to try to spare other families from. Wishing you a speedy, full recovery."

Now, I just want to note the statement from the personal office of former President Biden is so moderated, striking a positive note on one hand as it talks about some of the treatment options and the trajectory there. On the other hand, the fact that it has spread to his bones is such a cause for concern. So, of course, a lot of support is streaming in for the president and his family in this very difficult and sad time -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Betsy Klein there at the White House and also Arlette Saenz in Washington. Our thanks to both of you for getting us up to speed on all the breaking developments here.

I do want to bring in CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who's joining us now.

Dr. Reiner, thanks for being back with us. Help people understand how serious this diagnosis is and what the prognosis and outlook might be. DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, it's a very serious diagnosis because we're told that former President Biden not only has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, a very common form of cancer in men, but also that its cell type is quite aggressive, meaning it has a higher likelihood of spreading. And indeed, it has spread and they've been able to detect evidence of the disease in one or more of his bones.

So we know that it's no longer contained in the prostate. And that changes, you know, how his oncologist will approach the treatment of it. Instead of trying to remove the prostate, which it would be one of the very common treatment modalities and people with early prostate cancer, they will now focus on containing it. And containing it with a variety of tools. We're told that it is sensitive to hormones. As we spoke about a little earlier today, prostate cancer cells grow in the presence of testosterone so that male hormone can be can be blocked in a variety of ways and that helps to slow the growth of the tumor, prevent further spread.

There are chemotherapeutic options. There are immune therapy options. There are systemic radiotherapy options that can be given to patients. And all this is important at the very outset. It's important patients to know this at the very outset because when you hear a diagnosis of cancer, I mean, that's basically all you hear and you think that you're going to die, you're going to die soon. And when you tell a patient that, OK, this is the diagnosis, but this is what we can do about it.

And we'll start with, let's say hormonal therapy. We'll follow your progress. And if we need to add more therapies, these are the options going forward. And that's very empowering for a patient. You know, in the first the first days after getting a cancer diagnosis, before you have a treatment plan set, is a paralyzing time. But once you're told this is what we can do, these are the therapies, let's get going, that's very empowering.

And I'm sure in the coming days, if not already, the president has been told the plan and that then puts you, you know, more in kind of an offensive mode than defensive mode.

[19:10:09]

DEAN: Yes. Where you can actually do something which, to your point, must feel empowering in a way.

REINER: Right.

DEAN: I do want to ask you a couple of things. One, how significant is it that we know this has spread to his bones?

REINER: It changes the prognosis significantly. The five-year survival rate for metastatic prostate cancer is somewhere around 33 percent. So -- which means that the majority of people will not be alive with -- in five years after receiving this diagnosis with metastatic prostate cancer. But some will. And again, I think it's really important for patients not just with prostate cancer, but with any kind of cancer to focus on what their prognosis is, not what the numbers say.

And the ready availability of sort of unfiltered medical data by just Googling, you know, what are my chances with prostate cancer, I discourage patients from really doing that. I encourage them to develop a relationship with an oncologist who can walk them through the treatment options and give them realistic expectations and realistic hope. I mean, and that's what I would tell President Biden. I would tell them that there's a lot to do so let's start doing them.

DEAN: Yes. And then what about his age? How much of a factor is that in a situation like this?

REINER: Well, you know, the older we are -- well, first of all prostate cancer is diagnosed more frequently in older men than younger men. And as you start therapy for any kind of cancer, particularly metastatic cancer, how you do depends on how you are now, what your current medical status is. And as we get older, we accumulate other what we call comorbidities. We accumulate heart disease and diabetes, and, you know, other vascular issues.

And, you know, the more incumbered we are with our, you know, chronic disease, the harder it can be to tolerate, you know, the rigors of cancer treatment. Hormonal therapy for prostate cancer typically is tolerated, you know, quite well. So, you know, I expect that if that is what they start with, then you'll see President Biden looking, you know, quite well.

You know, other forms of cancer therapy, obviously, which are more toxic often take a steeper toll on a patient's well-being. But we'll have to see. And they'll tailor his therapy to his particular tumor and to his current health status, and they'll make adjustments along the way. And you keep going forward. And that's what it means to give hope. That's what it means to give hope to patients.

DEAN: Go forward and get a plan, and do the best you can, and have the love of those and support of those around you.

All right. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, thank you so much for the context around that. It's really helpful. We really appreciate it.

REINER: My pleasure.

DEAN: And we're going to have more on former President Biden coming up. But first, tonight, House Republicans racing to get Trump's agenda back on track with a rare Sunday night vote. More on this when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:18:23]

DEAN: Right now, all eyes are on Speaker Mike Johnson as he scrambles to get President Trump's agenda over the finish line in the House. And tonight, the House Budget Committee is expected to vote on the sweeping tax and spending bill that was blocked by a group of GOP hardliners last week. CNN's Julia Benbrook has been keeping track of the GOP negotiations. She joins us now from Washington.

A lot hinges on the next couple of days, Julia. And a rare day of lawmakers on Capitol Hill on a Sunday night.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And a lot hinges on these next few hours. We expect to see this vote at 10:00 p.m. tonight. A very rare late Sunday night vote. And it will be a big test for Trump's agenda. It comes after a setback on Friday, when a handful of GOP hardliners blocked the bill from advancing out of committee.

Now, House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of his leadership team have spent the weekend trying to convince those Republicans who voted against it to support it before they vote again. Among the demands that those hardliners are making, they want to see deeper cuts to a clean energy tax program, as well as stricter overhauls on Medicaid, specifically looking at the work requirements. They want those to go into effect earlier. The current proposal has them slated to go into effect in 2029.

Now, in an interview on FOX News earlier today, Johnson said that he thought weekend negotiations were, quote, "going well." He did imply that there could be a compromise when it comes to those work requirement timelines, but also expressed concerns about giving states enough time to put into effect any changes.

[19:20:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): The concern is, what we're trying to work with, is the ability of the states to retool their systems and ensure the verification processes is to make sure that all the new laws and all the new safeguards that we're placing can actually be enforced. And so we're working through all those details and we'll get it done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Representative Ralph Norman, one of the Republicans who opposed advancing this bill on Friday, tells CNN that he thinks weekend negotiations suggests that GOP leadership could be moving in the hardliners' direction on some of those key sticking points.

It is important to note, Jessica, though, that any change to this bill to appease one group could impact another. In this case, the more moderate wing of the GOP in the House.

DEAN: Yes, they are really trying to thread a needle there.

Julia Benbrook, thank you so much for that update.

Also new tonight, authorities in New Orleans say the manhunt for seven inmates who brazenly broke out of jail is now expanding to other states. So far, only three of the 10 who escaped two days ago have been caught. And CNN's Rafael Romo has been tracking this story.

Rafael, what is the latest?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Jessica. Expanding to other states, yes, and officials say those states have been notified. And Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called the inmate escape an unfortunate and disappointing circumstance. He said that the massive jailbreak may very well be the largest in the history of the state, and something that should have never happened.

People in Louisiana and neighboring states were hoping the rest of the escaped inmates would have been captured by now, but Louisiana State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges said only three out of 10 have been captured so far. Something that hasn't changed since Saturday morning. However, Hodges said police have what he called actionable intelligence on all seven of those fugitives.

He added that they hope that in the coming days, if not the coming hours, law enforcement will be able to apprehend all of them. But once again, as for the public's help and in that respect, the reward money for information leading to an arrest of any of the inmates has increased to $20,000 when you add all the money from the FBI, the ATF and Crimestoppers.

Landry also said he has ordered an investigation into how it was possible for 10 inmates to break free from what is supposed to be a secure facility. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JEFF LANDRY (R), LOUISIANA: The public deserves to know who, what and how this happened. The responsibility for answering those questions will fall to the attorney general. Her office will lead the investigation into this jailbreak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: And, Jessica, in addition to the investigation by the attorney general, Landry also said that he has ordered an audit of the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility. He's also ordered the removal of all DOC inmates held at that facility. Landry also said he will be issuing an executive order that instructs the state inspector general to get an inventory of all pretrial detainees and those awaiting sentences. According to the governor, Jessica, nine of the 10 escaped inmates had been in pretrial detention for years.

Now, back to you.

DEAN: All right. Rafael Romo, with the very latest. Thank you so much for that reporting.

And still to come, we are continuing to following breaking news. Again, the announcement that former President Joe Biden has an aggressive form of prostate cancer that his personal office says has spread to his bones. We'll have more on that when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:28:02]

DEAN: And tonight we are coming to you with breaking news as former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that his personal office says has spread to his bones. That announcement coming in a brief statement. It said Biden and his family are reviewing his treatment options with doctors. A source telling CNN Biden is at home this weekend in Wilmington, Delaware.

Presidential historian Tim Naftali is joining us now.

Tim, thank you so much for being here with us. Just the history, from a historian's perspective, you think about the oldest ever president to sit in the Oval Office just leaving the White House a few months ago and now getting this information about his cancer diagnosis.

Do we have anything to compare this to in history and kind of where does it fit in our story?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, Jessica, there's a subtext of the cruelty of fate in Joe Biden's long political career. On just in the aftermath of a surprising long shot victory to the Senate as the youngest man to join the Senate, Joe Biden loses his daughter and his wife in a terrible car crash.

Months after a humiliating withdrawal from the 1988 presidential campaign, Joe Biden suffers two brain aneurysms and one bursts. He might well have died. He might well have had permanent brain damage. Fortunately neither occurred of course. And now, as we revisit his conviction last year that only he could beat Donald Trump, as we revisit that decision and think about it in the context of the chaos that we've watched in the last 100 plus days, for him to have this diagnosis again is the cruelty of fate.

Joe Biden, first of all, deserves a long -- as long a post-presidency as possible, but he also deserves an opportunity to explain himself. I'm sure he wants to write a book. So one hopes that he recovers, that he can recover from this. It is, as I said, a reminder of the cruelty of a -- in some ways charmed life, but also one touched by tragedy and cruelty.

[19:30:21]

The timing of this diagnosis is just terrible for the family, but it is also reminder of one of the challenges for anyone of a certain age, and particularly someone who still lives in the klieg lights of public recognition.

DEAN: Yes, certainly true and it also comes amidst this renewed scrutiny over his legacy while he was in office, questions over his fitness for that office. What do you make of all of this timing and it all happening at the same time?

NAFTALI: Well, I'll make this two things. One, first of all, my reaction is that of a someone reacting to a human tragedy. Of course, there will be a lot of time to process what could have been, what might have been, of course, if President Biden had been re-elected we would now be undergoing a presidential health crisis and that is one of the risks when we elect elderly people to the presidency.

But there will be a lot of time for that kind of analysis. There's a lot of time to rethink the 2024 election and the mistakes, the challenges and the risks that were taken and the consequences. There will be -- there are books now, important books that have been written. There will be more books that will be written.

But at this moment, this is a time to think about a long-time public servant. The last of a generation who has given his all to this country, and the mistakes he made, and we can debate them, were out of love for this country. And at this moment, let's just think about his well-being and that of his family and hope that he gets better.

DEAN: I think everybody sending him well wishes and his family, including President Trump, who we heard from today, who again with like this traditional, presidential message of wishing him well along with, with so many other Americans.

All right Tim Naftali, thank you so much. It's good to see you.

NAFTALI: Good to see you, Jess.

DEAN: Coming up, good news for tens of thousands of people in New Jersey and New York City. A deal is in the works so they can ride the train and the bus again. We'll tell you more about that.

You're on CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:37:18]

DEAN: Breaking news tonight an agreement has been reached to end a three-day transit strike in New Jersey. A former announcement by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is expected shortly, 450 union engineers manned picket lines Friday in a dispute over their pay. Details of the agreement have not been released, but trains are expected to be back on a normal schedule as soon as Tuesday, that tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the rank and file, though. New Jersey transit services a hundred thousand customers a day, making it the nation's third largest commuter railroad.

Another major story that were following tonight, these new developments on the Mexican Navy tall ship that somehow lost power and hit the underside of New York's iconic Brooklyn Bridge, snapping its masts. Two crew members died, more than a dozen people were injured. That's according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it is sending a go team to that crash site. And while the cause of that accident is still being investigated, Adams wrote on social media the ship did lose power and a senior city official with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN the ship had some sort of mechanical issue, then began traveling in the wrong direction, possibly carried by strong currents in the east river.

We are joined now by former New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio.

Mayor, thanks so much for being here with us. Just take us through what the next steps look like for city officials, for federal officials. What happens now?

BILL DE BLASIO, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Well. Jessica, look, this is something that could have been prevented. The East River has legendarily strong currents. And if a ship of this size was going to be moved out of position, clearly, there needed to be supporting vessels to make sure that something like this couldn't happen, or they needed to be used differently than they were.

So, I think, I mean, it's horrible, horrible that there were lives lost, but it could have been even worse when you think about how many people were on that ship at that moment and how big the impact was. So this is a cautionary tale. Obviously, the Brooklyn Bridge iconic, suffered some damage. But is still functioning. I mean, you look at something like this, you say we just have to be more careful. Especially after what happened in Baltimore.

So next steps, of course, full investigation. And then I think there's going to have to be some different rules for the road, as it were, on our waterways, because this is just dangerous stuff. We cannot have ships just solely relied on in their own power and then look at the tragic results. Look at the loss of life.

DEAN: Yes as you look at these and look, there are so many clips of video of this. That's another piece of this is just that so many people were recording it as it was happening, and you watch it happening before your eyes and it almost looks -- pretend -- I mean, something that big hitting the Brooklyn Bridge, you mentioned Baltimore there. You do have to think that, you know, I wonder what the rules are for a boat like that, that close to the Brooklyn Bridge. What kind of rules are there?

[19:40:13]

DE BLASIO: Well, Jessica, I think what we're learning the hard way here is that sort of business as usual was to assume a ship would take care of itself or have minimal escort. This is a very large, tall ship. I mean, they call it a tall ship for a reason, it's huge. And what's so sad is so many of the crew. You know, these are young cadets, and they were in such a vulnerable position.

I mean, I think another important question is going to be once it started drifting, why were those poor young people left in such a vulnerable position? Why weren't they immediately told to get out of harm's way?

So, there's a lot we have to learn here with National Transportation Safety Board doing their investigation. But I do think what this says to coastal cities going forward is we've got to be really careful. I mean, you talk about, God forbid, something worse had happened to the Brooklyn Bridge that knocks out so much of the life of New York City. But of course, the most important thing is protecting human life.

Two people died, a lot more could have died. And you're right, when you saw that video, this thing is looming right up on all the -- people who are watching by the shore there. The ships literally coming right up into their faces. I mean, this could have been much, much worse.

DEAN: And the Brooklyn Bridge reopened within a matter of hours. Are you confident its safe enough? People don't need to worry that it's structurally sound.

DE BLASIO: Look, we have an incredible team of engineers in New York City Department of Transportation. I mean, they're legendary. That bridge goes back to the 1880s, and they've kept it going ever since. So, I feel very, very confident that also the way the ship hit it didn't hit one of the main pillars.

It was the mast only that made contact. And obviously, the mast got a lot worse for the wear. But in the end I think a much worse outcome could have happened. We need to realize that this is like we're getting a warning once again that we've got to get ahead of things like this. And that bridge, it has stood the test of time. So, I feel confident once again. It's come through with flying colors.

DEAN: All right, really, just incredible video to look at. Mayor De Blasio, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.

DE BLASIO: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: And still ahead tonight, hours before President Trump and Putin are set to talk about ending the war, Russia launches its largest drone attack against Ukraine. We'll have the latest from latest from Kyiv. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:47:14]

DEAN: The Ukrainian military says Russia launched a drone attack overnight, the largest since the war began and just before President Trump is scheduled to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow.

CNN chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT. That record 273 attack drones fired by Russia, really a reminder of the intensity of the barrage that many Ukrainians face every night, 128 of these, Ukrainian Air Force says, were essentially decoys designed to try and distract air defenses, confuse radars, 88, they say, in fact, were shot down. But that hasn't stopped two being reported dead in that 24-hour period, over 24 injured; in fact, a 28-year-old woman on the outskirts of Kyiv among the victims, as long as a six-year-old injured as well.

That two coupled now with a warning from Ukraine's defense intelligence of a potential for a missile attack using maybe an ICBM type missile, we saw that last in November, a significant psychological impact. Even though the warheads used were in fact significantly downgraded. And all of this raising the stakes ahead of the important phone call Monday, 10:00 A.M. between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The timetable for this, laid out by the White House in a Truth Social post by President Trump himself. He says he'll then talk to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then to NATO leaders. He talked about how he'd like to see a ceasefire happen, but also, too, he said he talked to Putin about the bloodbath here in Ukraine and ending it, but also trade as well, holding out the possibility that this phone call may involve parts of the U.S.-Russia alliance being potentially back into some kind of detente, but also urgent measures to stop the war in Ukraine.

The issue at this point, though, is that Moscow seem pretty much impenetrable to pressure from Europe, Ukraine and indeed the United States in terms of agreeing to the unconditional ceasefire that that Europe and the U.S. for some time have indeed demanded.

The meeting in Istanbul, the first at a very low level between Russian officials and Ukraine, whose Defense Minister attended as well a sign, perhaps amongst many observers, that this is a bid by Russia to prolong the process.

Perhaps this phone call between trump and Putin will set a date for them to meet, or will it throw down more conditions for that? We don't know. But it was a brief moment then it seemed the White House trying to seize a gain on the scheduling of this particular peace process. But, two, laying down massive stakes for that single phone call.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Nick, thank you.

Pope Leo XIV celebrating his inaugural Sunday mass at the Vatican this morning. The service steeped in symbolism marking the official beginning of his papacy as the first American Pope.

CNN's Christopher Lamb has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, it was a historic Sunday here in Saint Peter's for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope.

Pope Leo began the day by getting on the Popemobile for the first time, greeting the crowds, waving at them, giving them the thumbs up. It was the first time that we'd seen the Pope on that iconic papal vehicle. Of course, afterwards, he then began the service. It was a solemn event, but also one that was punctuated by applause. There was a celebratory atmosphere.

[19:50:36]

Now, Pope Leo received the symbols of office of the papacy during the service. He received the Fisherman's Ring, which, of course, comes after the fact that the first Pope, Saint Peter, who Catholics hold as the first pope, was a fisherman. He also received the Pallium, which is a symbol of office and service that Pope Leo will carry out.

(POPE LEO XIV speaking in foreign language.)

LAMB: Now, in the homily that Pope Leo gave, he emphasized the importance of being a servant. He said he didn't feel that he warranted the election, that he received in the conclave, and this is what he had to say.

POPE LEO XIV, BISHOP OF ROME, HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SOVEREIGN OF THE VATICAN CITY STATE (through translator): I was chosen without any merit of my own. And now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy.

Walking with you on the path of God's love for He wants us all to be united in one family.

LAMB: Pope Leo in his homily, also emphasizing the importance of unity in the church. Of course, there are a number of divisions within the catholic church that he seems keen to seek to heal.

He also called for a church that is missionary that isn't looking in on itself. Of course, Pope Leo was a missionary in Peru for a number of years. The Pope also received different groups or different representatives from parts of the church, including a married couple, young people, some Cardinals in what was the Rite of Obedience.

This reflecting the desire that Pope Leo has for a church that isn't just the hierarchy leading, but also it is the hierarchy with the people together. That's going to be, I think, an important part of his ministry.

The service was very solemn, very beautiful. There was chanting, there was singing.

At the end he led the Regina Caeli Prayer and in that prayer, he talked about the suffering of people in Gaza And Ukraine And Myanmar. He had a round of applause when he mentioned Gaza.

And then afterwards he went back into St. Peter's Basilica to greet the delegations who were here for this inauguration mass on Sunday.

Amongst those who he met, the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, his wife, the Second Lady Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, countries from all corners of the globe have sent delegations for this inauguration. Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada amongst them, and the Pope before the mass, met with the President of Peru, of course, Pope Leo, serving in Peru for many years before he came to Rome.

This was really an extraordinary day in Saint Peters. As Pope Leo now formally begins his ministry as Pope.

Christopher Lamb, CNN Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:58:05]

DEAN: Up next, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta investigates what may sound like science fiction to many, the practice of using animal organs for human transplant. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Since the time we started Investigating Xenotransplantation about two years ago, things have taken off at a lightning pace. From compassionate use to a pilot study and now an FDA approved clinical trial.

Also, expect to see high-tech pig farms like these, pop up in other places around the country and the world.

AARON ORTIZ, UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORP, DIRECTOR, XENO MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS: The next facility will be built, will have an output of about 6,000 organs per year. But that's still, you know, less than. 10 percent of the demand for the unlimited supply of organs.

This is a brand new building built specifically for human clinical trials.

GUPTA (voice over): Aaron Ortiz. Is in charge of scaling up United Therapeutic's pig production. These are the highly specialized designated pathogen free buildings, DPF. They're built using FDA guidelines. It's what they call a bio secure and pathogen free environment.

GUPTA (on camera): This is not typical pig farm.

ORTIZ: Yes, it looks like a biotech facility, to be honest and the mechanics behind it.

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GUPTA: So, Jessica, you got. A little glimpse of what it might take to create these pig farms all over the country, maybe all over the world. And as you just heard. They're kind of more like biotech facilities rather than pig farms. But that's sort of what it's going to take. By the way, a lot of people ask why pigs? And in large part, it's because pigs. And humans are similar in size. That's a very simple sort of explanation, but it's a big one. A pig kidney and a human kidney, similar in size. Same thing with the heart, a pig genome and a human genome are very similar, but there's enough differences there where the pig genome can be edited, to make it more compatible for the humans as well.

We're going to see how long this all takes. Clinical trials are starting now, but I asked every scientist for the documentary: How long do they think this is going to take? What's the timeline here? And the answer came. Back around five years, around five years for this to potentially be a real option for people who are waiting for organ transplants right now -- Jessica.

DEAN: CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports "Animal Pharm," it's next only here on CNN. And in the meantime, thanks so much for joining me this evening, I'm Jessica Dean.

We're going to see you right back here next weekend. Have a great night.

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