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State of the Union

The Pope Visits Philadelphia; Pope Francis Speaks at the World Meeting of Families; Interview With Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Spokesperson Becky Ianni. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired September 27, 2015 - 09:00   ET

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

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there. I'm Jake Tapper in Philadelphia.

The STATE OF OUR UNION here uplifted. We're looking at live pictures right now of Pope Francis greeting seminarians at Saint Charles Borromeo ceremony out on Philadelphia's Main Line in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. These are live images of the seminarians applauding him, no doubt delighted that he is merely in their midst. He will be speaking to them and to bishops in just a few minutes. We will carry that live.

It's been a remarkable week, capping off this afternoon with a giant outdoor mass here in the City of Brotherly Love. As many as two million people are expected to attend this morning.

Some breaking news, CNN has learned that Pope Francis will meet with victims of clergy sexual abuse at some point this morning. We will, of course, bring you more details from that meeting as we learn them.

We got that from two American Catholic leaders. But, right now, we're watching him at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, where he's staying while he's here in Philadelphia. This is outside Philadelphia in Wynnewood. He is going to greet bishops from around the world who are here attending the World Meeting of Families this weekend. He will be speaking to them in just a few minutes, talking about the importance of men joining the priesthood.

I'm joined here in Philadelphia by two Catholic priests, Father Edward Beck, who is a CNN religion contributor, and Father James Martin, who is editor at large of "America" magazine.

Father Martin, this is your hometown, as well as mine. This seminary has been here in Philadelphia -- outside Philadelphia -- since 1832. Set the stage for us. What are we expecting His Holiness to say to the bishops and seminarians?

REV. JAMES MARTIN, EDITOR AT LARGE, "AMERICA": (OFF-MIKE) place.

[09:00:01]

He will obviously address the seminarians, who are in their first stage of training as priests, and bishops worldwide from the World Meeting of Families. So, this may be a time when he can sort of lay out his vision for the church, but it also may be a time where he can encourage both the young and the old in their vocations as priests. TAPPER: Father Beck, is it a challenge these days to get young men to

join the priesthood, more so than the past?

REV. EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: Certainly, it's more of a challenge, though I think this pope is helping that challenge.

Vocations have been down for quite some time, vocations to the priesthood. And yet there seems to be a new birth in that, a renewal. We're going to have 150 seminarians here listening to this pope today, 300 bishops. And so he's going to encourage them in that vocation, in that priesthood vocation, in that episcopal vocation.

And I think certainly this pope has reenergized Philadelphia, the world and I think he will reenergize vocations as well.

TAPPER: Father Martin, are there -- anticipated at all that Pope Francis will change the rules, rules that are tradition, not Gospel, not doctrine, change rules that might make it easier to recruit popes?

For instance, as you know better than I, there are married popes. They happened to have been Anglican -- I'm sorry, married priests. Father, sorry. There are married priests. They happened to have been Anglican who converted to Catholicism. Would -- is it expected that Pope Francis will change the rules at all?

MARTIN: It's not expected. As you say, it's a practice.

We do have, as you note, married priests already, people who have come from the Anglican Church. There has been around the Synod on the Family, which the -- whose second part is coming up in October, a lot of discussion among cardinals and archbishops about the possibility of married priests.

So, frankly, I think, if anything does change, that will be one of the first things that does.

BECK: And, actually, this pope when asked that question before about that, he said, it can change. It's only a discipline. It's not dogma. It's not doctrine. So, if there is anything that perhaps is a hot-button issue that people could say, well, maybe, he said maybe.

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: Hmm. Very interesting.

And what are we expecting him -- well, take a listen. Let's listen in. They are now speaking.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Archbishop Paglia, dear friends in Christ, we began our planning for this World Meeting of Families with Archbishop Paglia and his staff nearly three years ago.

We didn't know what to expect. The church in Philadelphia was facing some very hard financial and legal problems. Our priests and our people were hurting from years of very painful news. And the national debate over same-sex issues, the nature of marriage, and the meaning of family became more intense.

But we put our trust in the lord, and we believed that he'd somehow make it work. The months since have had many surprises, but also a great deal of grace. Over the past week, I have been moved by the thousands of families, and especially young people, who are hungry for a closer walk with Jesus Christ.

They reminded me again that God made us for happiness and meaning. We can't live without intimacy and purpose. So I have been struck during these days by the passion of so many people from so many different countries who want to live their marriages and lead their families as God intended.

This world gathering has changed a great many lives, including my own. It's been a source of new hope, both for the city and for the Church of Philadelphia. My dear brother bishops, it could not have happened without your prayers and support.

This past week has been a blessing for the church worldwide, but especially here in North America. The Philadelphia community will always be grateful to you, to the Pontifical Council for the Family, and especially to you, Holy Father, Pope Francis, for giving us this great opportunity to experience God's grace.

Holy Father, welcome once again.

(APPLAUSE)

[09:05:23]

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Dear brother bishops, good morning.

I have in my heart these stories of suffering, of those used that were sexually abused. And it continues to be on my mind. The people who had the responsibility to take care of these tender ones violated that trust and caused them great pain.

God weeps, for the sexual abuse of children, these cannot be maintained in secret, and I commit to a careful oversight to ensure that youth are protected and that all responsible will be held accountable.

Those who have survived this abuse have become true heralds of mercy. Humbly, we owe each of them our gratitude for their great value, as they have had to suffer this terrible abuse, sexual abuse of minors.

I say this. I would like to express my gratitude to the archbishop. And I felt it very important that I share this message with you today.

And I am very happy to be able to share these moments of pastoral reflection with you amid the joyful celebrations of this World Meeting of Families, for the church, the family is not first and foremost a cause for concern, but rather the joyous confirmation of God's blessing upon the masterpiece of creation.

Every day all over the world, the church can rejoice in the lord's gift of so many families who, even amid difficult trials, maintain faithful to their promises and keep the faith.

I would say that this is a very difficult period of transition, and it requires that we move forward and recognize the family. Gratitude should be more important than any lamentation. Regardless of all of the obstacles that we must face, the family is the fundamental locus of the covenant between the church and God's creation.

[09:10:14]

God blessed (INAUDIBLE) with the family. Without the family, not even the church would exist, nor could she be what she is called to be, that is to say, a sign, an instrument of communion with God and the unity of the entire human race.

Needless to say, our understandings shape the interplay of a pleasing (ph) faith and the conjugal experience of sacramental grace. But this must not lead us to disregard the unprecedented changes taking place in contemporary society.

And we are now seeing this take place in their social, cultural, and now -- unfortunately, now juridical effects on family bonds. These changes affect us all, whether we are believers or nonbelievers.

Christians are not immune to the changes of their times. This concrete world, with all its many problems and possibilities, is where we must live, believe, and proclaim.

Until recently, we lived in a social context where the similarities between the civil institution of marriage and the Christian sacrament were considerable and shared. The two were interrelated and mutually supportive.

This is no longer the case. If I were to describe our situation today, I would use two familiar images. On the one hand, our neighborhood stores, those small businesses in our neighborhoods, and, on the other hand, our large supermarkets.

There was a time when one neighborhood, one neighborhood store had everything one needed for personal and family life. It's true that it wasn't all cleverly displayed and it didn't offer much choice, but there was -- there was a personal bond between the shopkeeper and his customers.

And business was done on the basis of trust. People knew one another, and they were all neighbors. They trusted one another. They built up trust. And, in many places, these stores were often simply known as the local market. Then, in recent decades, a different kind of store was created, the shopping centers, huge spaces with a great selection of opportunities in merchandise.

The world seems to have become one of these great shopping centers or supermarkets. Our culture has become more and more competitive. Businesses no longer conduct business based on trust. Others can no longer be trusted.

There is no longer that close personal relationship. Today's culture seems to encourage people to not bond with anything or anyone, not to trust or let others trust in them. The most important thing today seems to -- seems to be to follow the latest trend or activity, even at a religious level.

[09:15:07]

Today, consumerism determines what is important, consuming relationships, consuming friendships, consuming religions, consuming, consuming, whatever the cost or consequences, a consumption that does not create bonds, consumption, which has little to do with human relationships.

Social bonds are a mere means for satisfaction of my needs. The important thing is no longer our neighbor, with his or her familiar face, story, and personality. The result is a culture which discards everything, everything that is no longer useful or satisfying, satisfying for the taste of the consumer.

We have turned our society into a huge multicultural showcase, tied only to the tastes of certain consumers, while so many others, the others, have nothing to eat but the crumbs which fall from their master's table.

This causes great harm. It is a great cultural harm. And I would dare say that at the root of -- of so many contemporary situations is a kind of radical loneliness that so many people live in today, running after the latest fad, a like, accumulating followers on any of the social networks.

And we human beings get caught up in what contemporary society has to offer, loneliness, with fear of commitment, in a limitless effort to feel recognized.

Should we blame our young people for having grown up in this kind of society? Should we condemn them for living in this kind of world? Should they hear their pastors saying things like, it was all better back then, the world is falling apart, and if things go on this way, who knows where we will end up?

That sounds a little bit like an Argentine tango.

(LAUGHTER)

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): I don't think that this is the way.

As shepherds following in the footsteps of the good shepherd, we are asked to seek out, to accompany, to lift up, to bind up the wounds of our time, to look at things realistically, with the eyes of one who feels called to action, to pastoral conversion.

The world today demands this conversion on our part. It is vital, vitally important for the church today to go forth and preach the Gospel to all, to all places on all occasions without hesitation, reluctance, or fear. The joy of the Gospel is for all people. No one can be excluded.

[09:20:00]

The Gospel is not a product for consumption. It is not part of the culture of consumerism.

We would be mistaken, however, if -- to see this culture of the present world as mere indifference towards marriage and the family, as pure and simple selfishness.

Are today's young people hopelessly timid, weak, or inconsistent? We must not fall into this trap. Many young people, in this context of culture and discouragement, have yielded to a form of unconscious acquiescence and fear. They are feeling that fear, that unconscious fear.

They're paralyzed when they encounter the more noble and truly necessary challenges. There are many who put off marriage while waiting for ideal conditions, when everything can be perfect. Meanwhile, life goes on, and they live it without living it to its fullest, because knowledge of life's true pleasures only comes as the fruit of a long-term generous investment of our intelligence, enthusiasm, and passion.

In the Congress a few days ago, I said we are living in a culture that pushes and convinces our youth to not create families, some because they don't have the means at their disposal, they don't have the material means to do so, and others because they have so much at their disposal that they're very comfortable as they are.

That is the temptation, to not create a family. As pastors, we bishops are called to collect our energies and to rebuild enthusiasm for making families and correspond ever more fully, ever more fully to the blessing of God, which they are.

We need to invest our energies, not so much in rehearsing the problems of the world around us over and over again and the merits of Christianity, but in extending a sincere invitation to the young people to be brave and to opt for marriage and the family.

In Buenos Aires, how many women telling me, "My son is 30, 34 years old, and he's not getting married. I don't know what to do."

And I say, "Don't iron his shirts anymore."

(LAUGHTER)

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): We have to encourage our youth that they take that risk, because they need to move toward fruitfulness in life.

Here, too, we need a bit of holy perisia (ph) from the bishops. "Why aren't you getting married?"

"Well, I have a girlfriend, but I don't know. We're not sure what to do. We're saving money for our marriage party."

There needs to be that holy perisia (ph) to be with them and help them move toward a commitment of marriage and to have them develop, for Christianity which does little in practice, while incessantly explaining its teachings, is dangerously unbalanced.

[09:25:10]

I would even say that it is stuck in a vicious circle. A pastor must show that the gospel of the family is truly good news in a world where self-concern seems to reign supreme.

We are not speaking about some romantic dream. The perseverance which is called for in having a family and raising it transforms the world and history. Families transform history and transform the world.

A pastor serenely, yet passionately, proclaims the word of God. He encourages believers to aim high. He will enable his brothers and sisters to hear and experience God's promise, which can expand their experience of motherhood and fatherhood within -- within the horizon of a new familiarity with God.

A pastor watches over dreams, of the lives and the growth of his flock. This watchfulness is not the result of talking, but of shepherding. Only one capable of standing in the midst, in the midst of the flock, someone who is not afraid of questions, contact, and accompaniment, is one who can do the job.

A pastor keeps watch first and foremost with prayer, supporting the faith of his people and instilling confidence with the lord in his presence. A pastor is always vigilant by helping people to lift their gaze at times of discouragement, frustration, and failure.

It would be important for us to ask whether, in our pastoral ministry, we are ready to -- quote, unquote -- "waste time" with families, whether we are ready to be present with them, sharing their difficulties, and sharing their joys.

Naturally, experiencing the spirit of this joyful familiarity, this joyful familiarity with God, and, secondly, spreading it, and spreading its powerful evangelical fruitfulness has to be the primary feature of the lifestyle of our bishops, a lifestyle of preaching the Gospel.

But I have always been surprised when, at the beginning of -- the beginning of the church (INAUDIBLE) went and complained because the orphans and the widows were not taken care of. But the apostles couldn't do it all, and they would get together. And they invented the position of deacon.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): The Holy Spirit inspired them to appoint deacons. And when Peter announces this decision, he explains, "We are going to choose seven men, so that they can address this issue."

And we have two things to do. Prayer and preaching.

What is the first job of a bishop? To pray. To pray. The second job that goes hand and hand is to preach. This definition, this dogmatic definition helps us. Now Cardinal Miller, if I'm not mistaking, this helps us. It helps us because it defines what the role of a bishop is. The bishop is constituted to be a pastor, to shepherd but first with prayer and then with predication and proclaiming the gospel. And if you have time, you do the rest and accept with humble Christian apprenticeship familiar virtues of God's people. By doing this, we will become more and more like fathers and mothers as did St. Paul.

In the First Epistle to the Thessalonians and we'll be less like people who have simply learned to live without a family. To distance ourself (ph) from the family will create people who have learned to live without families. That is ugly, very ugly.

Our ideal is not to live without love. A good pastor renounces the love of a family precisely in order to focus all his energies and the grace of his particular vocation on the evangelical blessing of the love of men and woman who carry forward God's plan of creation beginning with those who are lost, abandoned, wounded, broken, downtrodden (INAUDIBLE) and deprived of their dignity. This total surrender to God is certainly not a vocation lacking (INAUDIBLE). We need but look to Jesus to understand this.

The mission of a good pastor in the style of God and only God can authorize this. Not our own presumption imitates in every way and for all people the son's love for the father. This is reflected in the tenderness with which a pastor devotes himself to the love and care of the men and women of our human family. For the eyes of faith, this is the most valuable sign.

Our ministry needs to deepen the covenant between the church and the family. And let me highlight this, we must develop the covenant between the church and the family, otherwise, it becomes (INAUDIBLE) and the human family will grow because by our own fault. It will grow irremediably (ph) distant from God's joyful good news and they will go to the local supermarket that is most popular and they will go and purchase that product that they desire most at the moment.

If we prove capable of the demanding task of reflecting God's love, cultivating infinite patience and serenity as we stride to sow its seeds in the frequently crooked furrows in which we are called to plant.

[09:35:00]

And we do need to sow in these crooked furrows with great frequency than even, for example, a Samaritan woman with five non-husbands will discover that she is capable of giving witness. And for every rich young man who with sadness feels that he has to calmly keep considering the matter, there will be an old Republican who will come down from the trees and give forth full to the poor to whom before that moment he had never even given a thought.

Brothers, brothers, may God grant us this gift of a renewed closeness between the families and the church. The family needs it. The church needs it. We, the shepherds need it.

The family is our ally, our window to the world. The family is the evidence of an irrevocable blessing of God destined for all the children who in every age are born into this difficult yet beautiful creation which God has asked us to serve. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

TAPPER: A remarkable and powerful and (INAUDIBLE) speech by Pope Francis. The (ph) top (ph) of (ph) the (ph) speech (ph) he spoke about his meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse. An unscripted moment during his speech to the bishops this morning at a seminary.

Stay with us. We're going to take a very quick break. After the break we're going to have more analysis of the Pope's speech and we'll talk to a survivor of clergy sex abuse. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:41:44]

TAPPER: Welcome back. We're live in Philadelphia. You're looking at live pictures.

The Pope just finished speaking about many things, including his meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse. I want to read you a fresher translation of what the Pope said at the top of his remarks. They were unscripted remarks -- quote -- I have heard in my heart these stories of suffering of those youth that were sexually abused and it continues to be on my mind that people who had the responsibility to take care of these tender ones violated that trust and caused them great pain. God weeps for the sexual abuse of children. These cannot be maintained in secret and I commit to a careful oversight to ensure that youth are protected and that all responsible will be held accountable. Those who have survived this abuse have become true heralds of mercy, humbly we owe each of them our gratitude for their great value as they have had to suffer terrible abuse, sexual abuse of minors. I felt it very important that I share this message with you today.

I want to talk now with Becky Ianni. She's a spokesperson for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. She is a survivor herself.

Becky, thanks for joining us. My understanding is that the Pope between 8:00 and 9:00 this morning at the seminary met with five adult survivors of sexual abuse by clergy, three women and two men. Right off the bat, what's your reaction to the news of this meeting and to the Pope's remarks?

BECKY IANNI, SPOKESPERSON, SURVIVORS NETWORK OF THOSE ABUSED BY PRIESTS, SURVIVOR OF PRIEST SEXUAL ABUSE: Well, I understand, you know, we thought he would meet with victims and, you know -- and I hope truly hope that those victims find healing from meeting with him. But, you know, what about the rest of the victims? I think what victims most need and I know myself, what I need, I need to know that another child is not going to go through what I went through as a child. And so I'm glad the Pope is speaking about this but we've heard him say words before and what we really need is for him to do something to protect children.

TAPPER: Right. And first of all, obviously, on behalf of me and my staff and viewers, you know, we send our thoughts and prayers to you and the other survivors of this abuse. Pope Francis has taken steps -- I'm not saying it's enough, but Pope Francis has taken steps to try to stop this. In June he created the church tribunal to judge bishops. In March he met with victims of sexual abuse in March 2014. And appointed the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors headed by the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal O'Malley.

What more would you like to see him do?

IANNI: Well, actually on the tribunal he has said - he has said he's going to set up a process. I do not believe that process has actually been set up. And I guess, our concern too is how long is it going to take to get set up? How long is it going to take it to see if it's going to be effective?

Well, right now the Pope could fire, demote, publicly punish any bishop who endangers children. So, he could do that step (ph) right (ph) now, not waiting for this process. And then the commission, I know two of the victims on my commission and they are wonderful people but do we really need a commission to study something that we've known about since the 1980s?

[09:45:01]

I think we've studied it enough. And so I don't think those steps are going to protect children. What's going to protect children if we do things like insist that bishops post on their website all the names of (INAUDIBLE) accused (ph) abusers (ph). If we insist the bishops work (ph) with (ph) better (ph) laws instead of fighting (ph) (INAUDIBLE). Those are a couple things that bishops can do that will protect children right now.

TAPPER: Are there still individuals in the church whether bishops or different positions who SNAP, who your organization, the Survivors Network of those who have been Abused by Priests want fired, want sent to prison?

IANNI: Well, of course, and the thing is we don't know. You know, we don't know all the people that are out there because one thing the Pope hasn't done and neither the bishops is turnover any records they have on clergy abuse victims. So we don't know the extent of the cover-up until they go by their words open and transparent to turn those documents over to secular authorities. We would have a better idea of who's covering up abuse, who's -- a priest who might have been accused and is still practicing. We do know that according to a "Global Post" article that there are five credibly accused clerics who moved to South America and were working in schools and with children there.

TAPPER: All right. Becky Ianni, spokesperson for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests or SNAP. Thank you so much. Best of luck to you. We are really wishing you -- sending you our thoughts and prayers on this Sunday.

Stay with us, more on the Pope's speech here this morning as well as his message about marriage. Much, much more coming back after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:50:57]

TAPPER: Welcome back to CNN's STATE OF THE UNION. I'm Jake Tapper. We're live in Philadelphia.

You see the bishops, the seminarians with whom Pope Francis is (ph) leaving (ph) on the left side of your screen -- on the right side of your screen. You see crowds gathering. (INAUDIBLE) see the right side of your screen but there they are. The crowd is gathering here on Benjamin Franklin Parkway getting ready for the Pope's address here.

The Pope just spoke at that seminary and part of the speech included a message to survivors of church sexual abuse. We just spoke with a survivor. And I want to talk to Father Edward Beck and Father James Martin who are listening with me. I want to get onto some of the other messages of the Pope's speech. But Father Martin on church sex abuse, in your view -- we had a different view from Becky Ianni. In your view, is the Pope taking this seriously? Is he actually putting action into place to hold those who were responsible for either the abuse or the cover-up accountable?

MARTIN: Yes, he's taking it extremely seriously and so is the church. It's important to know the church has an office of child and youth protection. Anyone who is guilty or (INAUDIBLE) accused of abuse is removed from the priesthood and is no longer a (ph) ministry (ph).

And also the Pope provided the missing link to the abuse crisis and the response which is having this Pontifical Commission that will hold responsible bishops who had moved abusive (ph) priests around. And that was really what people are looking for. So, he really had in addition to the archdioceses and the dioceses put teeth in the oversight of bishops and priests. So I think he has done -- in a sense you could say it's more than any pope has done. So, he is (ph) taking (ph) this extremely seriously and he also said in front of the bishops and seminarians. It's a very strong message and very strong actions, I believe.

TAPPER: Let's turn to other topics in the Pope's speech, Father Beck Very interesting. Obviously we're here because the Pope is headlining this event summit

(ph) on families. And he had remark that is rather sharp about marriage. Until recently we lived in a social context where the similarities between the civil institution of marriage and the Christian sacrament were considerable and shared. That is no longer the case. He's talking about same-sex marriage.

BECK: Yes. It's kind of a veiled reference, not too veiled actually

TAPPER: Yes.

BECK: And he hasn't addressed this specifically but he had said, I have to get to Philadelphia. I'm going to talk about marriage and family in Philadelphia. And these are the most pointed comments that he has made thus far. But he goes on to say while everyone may not fall into these categories, he talked about a supermarket and a small store. We used to be more like the small store. Now we're like a supermarket. We get lost in the impersonalism of it.

How do we now deal with people though when they don't fit into the category? So, he says this and then he goes back and he calls them to be pastors. Deal with people when they don't fit (INAUDIBLE). So, it's yes, but.

TAPPER: And Father Martin, there were bishops and someday priests, soon to be priests, seminarians in that audience, and he was giving some instructions there on the best way to do that job. "A Christianity which does little in practice while incessantly explaining its teachings is dangerously unbalanced," he said. What does that mean to you?

MARTIN: Yes. I mean, it's one of my favorite lines.

Basically, if you're just standing there in front of people as a priest telling them what the church teaches and waving your finger in their faces, that's not enough. In fact he says it's a vicious cycle because people get shut (ph) up (ph). What he wants to use one of his most important word is accompaniment. He wants the pastor to be there and even says that the pastor should be willing to waste time with families, to enjoy spending time with families rather than just preaching at them. To really be a model of Christian discipleship.

TAPPER: And we're looking right now at images live. Images of the Pope boarding a helicopter that is going to take him from the seminary to a prison where he is going to meet with those who have been can convicted.

[09:55:00]

Some who are waiting trial, some of the heinous crimes including murder and rape, tending to that flock. The crowd is already gathering here outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Ben Franklin Parkway for his giant outdoor mass that will be held this afternoon. They are expecting as many as two million people. We'll take you there to the prison, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:57:49]

TAPPER: Welcome back. We're live in Philadelphia where the Pope just finished a speech in which he spoke about his meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse.

He talked about consumerism. He talked about strengthening the family.

Apologized for the feedback you just heard. We're doing -- they're doing sound checks behind me.

Let's go to CNN's Miguel Marquez who is with the crowd down at Ben Franklin Parkway. They are awaiting the Pope's mass. This will be celebrated later today.

Miguel, how did -- how did they react to the Pope's speech if they were able to hear it this morning?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They were able to hear it on the big screen monitors all up and down Benjamin Franklin Parkway here. And when the Pope said, came out right off the top and unscripted said, God weeps for those sexual abuse of children and that all responsible will be held accountable. You could have heard a pin drop in this area. It was a bit of a cold splash of water in the morning for the people who gathered here.

I heard a couple of people clap for that but it was -- I think it came as big shock especially in Philadelphia where it had so many issues over the years with not only sexual abuse but the cover up of it that has cost the church in this city so dearly. The people here have been lining up for hours and hours and hours.

We have Cubans here. They appropriately named Jesus (ph). In this family their two kids will be in the choir that will sing here today which is very, very exciting for them. And if you turn around this way you can see the beautiful skyline of Philadelphia on this fantastic morning. The crowds are really pouring in now.

This is the ticketed area of the event. We are hours and hours away. This area is filling up. We were in the unticketed area about a half mile away earlier. That was already filling up as well with people very early on. People waiting as early as 3:00 and 4:00 a.m., Jake.

TAPPER: Miguel Marquez out in the crowd there in Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia where teeming masses are coming to hear the Pope celebrate a mass later today.

The Pope right now is on a VIP marine helicopter. It would be theoretically the same one that would be called Marine One if President Obama was on it but he's not. It's a VIP marine helicopter and he's going to a prison where he will be tending to the spiritual needs of prisoners.

[10:00:11] Thank you for spending your Sunday morning with us. We'll be back in one hour with more of CNN's special coverage of the Pope's final day of his trip to America.

I'm Jake Tapper in Philadelphia.

"FAREED ZAKARIA, GPS" and his interview with President Bill Clinton start right now.