December 31, 1999
Web posted at: 4:00 p.m. EDT

(CNN) - "Time" magazine correspondent Greg Burke joined CNN.com on Tuesday, December 14, 1999, to chat about his essays in "An Invitation to Joy: Selections from the Writings and Speeches of His Holiness John Paul II." Burke also discussed his decade of work covering the Vatican and issues in the Roman Catholic Church. The following is an edited transcript of the chat.

Chat Moderator: Thank you, Greg Burke, for joining us today and welcome to the chat. Please tell us about your background.

Greg Burke: I have lived in Rome for the past ten years. I started as an exclusive Vatican reporter. I didn't leave the Vatican but began to cover more Italian politics and society questions. The Vatican is always a key part of a Rome reporter's job, however, and I knew that, sooner or later, I'd want to do something bigger on the Pope.

I had a good taste of this kind of work, this kind of bigger project when, in 1994, "Time" magazine made John Paul II "Man of the Year." I was one of a number of people who worked on that project.

Question from mouse: How much involvement did you have with the Pope?

Greg Burke: I think, over ten years, I have only met the Pope one-on-one maybe 10 times. However I have followed him closely for over the ten years. The Pope appears in public often. One of the things I do like to do is follow the Pope when he visits the Rome parishes because it gives you a good chance to see him up close and to hear him speak off the cuff.

Chat Moderator: How did you first get involved with this project?

Greg Burke: That is a long story but, briefly, I like soccer a lot. Italian soccer is great. I tried selling a book on Italian soccer to an Italian publisher. I wanted to do a book on Italian soccer as seen by an American. But he later came back to me with an idea for photo/textbook -- a photo book on the book. He asked me if I'd do the text.

Question from mouse: Are you Catholic?

Greg Burke: I am. It helps a little in understanding just a bit about the church. You obviously don't have to be. It is good to have a "Catholic nose," a feel for the subject.

Question from Paulinus: I haven't see your book yet. It is not another biography, eh?

Greg Burke: No. It is not a biography. Thankfully, it is much easier to read than the four biographies that have been released in the past couple of years. It is, above all, an introduction to the major themes of this papacy.

Question from Sunny1: Have you seen the Pope lately? He seems to be very frail on TV.

Greg Burke: Yes, I did just a week ago and, yes, he is frail. One has to remember that he is 79. He has broken his leg and has had major surgery on more than one occasion. So, he is showing his age. However, I think he is very determined to lead the church into the next millennium.

Question from mouse: What is the biggest misconception that people have about the Pope or the Vatican?

Greg Burke: I think there are a lot. One about the Vatican is that it is rich. They may think that because it has wonderful and priceless pieces of art, such as The Sistine Chapel, the Pieta, and St. Peter's Basilica itself. But, in fact, its budget is much smaller than many American universities.

As for the Pope, perhaps the biggest misconception is that he is conservative. I think it is a lot more complex than that. People would be surprised to see what he has to say about the distribution of wealth, for example, and a number of other subjects.

Question from Sunny1: Is there talk about who his successor might be?

Greg Burke: Yes, there is. And I think, to a certain degree, there have been more reporters arriving in Rome in recent months. Part of that is because of the millennium and part is because they are expecting a new Pope sometime soon. You hear many names.

I think the most interesting question that has to be answered in the beginning is, "will the next Pope be an Italian?" Has the mold been broken? John Paul was the first non-Italian in 450 years.

Question from Paulinus: Do you think he would die as Pope? Looks like after presiding over the millennium jubilee, he'd be ready to go.

Greg Burke: If you mean, "will he retire?" I doubt it. However, this Pope has surprised a lot of people. And, although it is not likely, it is not out of the question.

Question from Moghopper: Don't you believe that the next Pope will be from Africa?

Greg Burke: Many people have spoken about a possible African Pope. They speak particularly about a cardinal from Nigeria, Cardinal Arinze. I don't think the College of Cardinals (the men who will be voting), are ready for an African Pope. Although the college has become very international, it is still a very traditionally-minded group.

Chat Moderator: What impact has the current Pope had on the world? What will this Pope be remembered for?

Greg Burke: I think the greatest impact undoubtedly has been the fall of communism in central and eastern Europe and his role in sparking that peaceful revolution in Poland. I believe, however, that his legacy is a bit stronger or more wide-ranging than that. And I think that he will also be remembered for the great emphasis he put on the dignity of every single human being.

Question from Paulinus: What impresses you most about John Paul as Pope?

Greg Burke: I think he is a man of prayer. We see the Pope a lot as a globetrotter. I think the most impressive thing about him is the amount of time he spends in silence and in prayer.

Question from Milkman_Dan: Do you think Catholicism and other religions, in general, are starting to fade from American society?

Greg Burke: I don't think Catholicism is, although I think it is at a crucial point. I don't think it is fading but it is going through some very serious growing pains. It was largely an immigrant church. And that is no longer the case for the most part. Now, the Catholic population in the U.S. is very mainstreamed. And that has caused some friction with being Catholic.

Question from Ben_Glickler: What impact has the Pope had on relations with the other major world religions?

Greg Burke: He has had successes and failures here, I would say. However, one of his big dreams is Christian unity and he has tried very hard to bring that about, without watering down Catholic truths. It's a difficult task, but one that he firmly believes in. He has been particularly close to Jews and was the first Pope in history to visit a synagogue.

Question from rob333: In your opinion, what has been Pope John Paul's greatest accomplishment?

Greg Burke: I think his greatest accomplishment has been getting out his main message to all men and women of good will that there is a God who loves you and that all of our actions, all of our behavior, should be in relationship to this loving God.

Question from Milkman_Dan: Does the Pope ever question his own faith, do you think?

Greg Burke: LOL. I don't know that. I know that, as a young man, he questioned to a certain degree his devotion to Mary, because he mentions this in his book about his vocation. I think, however, that he is a very prayerful person and, I think, quite decisive. He has a very clear vision and if there are doubts, they are not major doubts.

Question from rob333: In your opinion, how must Roman Catholicism evolve to ensure it's survival in the 21st Century?

Greg Burke: That is a good and difficult question. I certainly don't have the answer. I think there has to be an ongoing dialog with the modern world. The Catholic Church, however, is not going to change its major teachings because of opinion polls or because of sociological fluctuations. There are a number of truths, which come directly from the Gospels, and they cannot be changed. I think the question of divorce is one of these.

Question from Paulinus: Why is it called "An Invitation to Joy?"

Greg Burke: Those words come from the Pope's own book, "Crossing the Threshold of Hope," in which he says, "the Gospel is always an invitation to joy."

Question from Sunny1: Do you think, if he approved of his successor, that he might step down?

Greg Burke: Well, it isn't the Pope's job to approve his successor. He could step down but the College of Cardinals would choose his successor.

Question from ryno: Greg, will we ever see the Latin rite return?

Greg Burke: If you mean the mass being celebrated only in Latin, no. I believe, however, that we will see renewed interest in the possibility of hearing the mass in Latin, which more and more people are coming to appreciate.

Question from Moghopper: Do you feel that the longstanding American prejudice against Catholics will fade (i.e., only one Catholic President)?

Greg Burke: I think it will very slowly. There is a book called "Rome Sweet Home," by Scott Hahn, which describes the conversion of him and his wife. And in it you see that there are still strong pockets of anti-Catholicism.

Chat Moderator: Can you tell us a little bit more about the Pope's travel plans, such as his upcoming trip to Iraq to retrace the steps of Moses?

Greg Burke: Unfortunately, the Iraqi government could not get its act together and that trip has been postponed indefinitely. He will go to Jerusalem at the end of March. He would also like to go to Mount Sinai in Egypt to celebrate with both Jewish and Muslim leaders.

Question from Paulinus: How about his trip to Israel with all that fuss over that building of a mosque?

Greg Burke: That is a big mess and it has endangered his trip to Israel. There is a mosque being built right next to one of the most sacred Christian shrines, The Basilica of the Annunciation. Christian leaders are not happy about that. However, I don't think it is a big enough obstacle to block the trip.

Question from Milkman_Dan: So what does the Pope really think about them protestants?

Greg Burke: I think the Pope appreciates all men and women of good will. I think he believes, however, that Christ founded one church, not many, and his dream is that this one church be reunited.

Question from mouse: How will a change of Pope affect modern Catholicism?

Greg Burke: Well, that depends on who the Pope is. Whoever the new Pope will be, he is always bound by tradition. Someone once said that a Pope's job is to say, "no." Much of the Pope's job, in fact, is preserving Christian heritage and Christian tradition.

Question from mouse: Are you working on any other projects?

Greg Burke: LOL. I'd like to do a book on fashion, which would be a bit of a change. :)

Question from Milkman_Dan: What's under that big fancy dress the Pope wears?

Greg Burke: A pair of pants!

Chat Moderator: In your opinion, who has been the most influential Pope?

Greg Burke: I haven't lived long enough to know that answer, nor do I have enough of a historical sense. There was a very important one during an early century named Athanasius, who helped save the church from total heresy.

Question from genie2: Greg, you said earlier that the Pope wanted religious world unity. Does this mean he wants the world to be converted to Catholicism?

Greg Burke: I don't think so. I think he wants Christian unity. He has, at the same time, tremendous respect for other Christians and tremendous respect for other religions. What is very important to the Pope is freedom of conscience. He considers religious freedom the most basic of human rights.

Question from mouse: How did you research this project and what did you learn about the Pope that surprised you?

Greg Burke: I researched it by reading as much as I could of what the Pope had written and said. I think what surprised me was the great interest the Pope has in the problems of the developing world.

Question from water_inc: Do the Pope's essays address the issue of a historical Jesus?

Greg Burke: In my book, no. He has dealt with this question in the past, however, especially in his speeches to the Vatican's theological commission.

Chat Moderator: It's been said that John Paul II is the most charismatic religious leader of our time. What are your thoughts?

Greg Burke: He obviously has a great sway over people. Part of that can be attributed to his training as an actor and his ability to speak. There is also the moral authority that the Pope brings with him, which I think he has in a degree that is hard to find elsewhere.

Chat Moderator: What was your best experience working on this project?

Greg Burke: Good question. I don't know the answer but I think, probably, it was work on his early life, which I had never done before. Looking at the photos of when he was a kid was fascinating. The Pope originally didn't want to be a priest; he wanted to be an actor. And it was interesting to find out what passion he had for the theater, music, and poetry.

Question from mouse: Tell us about the sections and themes of the book.

Greg Burke: I divided it into four sections: The Human Family, The People of God, The Dignity of the Human Person, and A Lifetime of Devotion. The last section is purely biography. The other sections were ways to bring together some of the more important themes of the papacy, such as youth, family, work, rest, vocation, prayer, forgiveness, human rights, solidarity, and suffering.

Speaking of suffering, the Pope's own life has been interesting in that he was nearly assassinated in 1981. And, a few days after he was shot, he offered forgiveness to his attacker.

Chat Moderator: How has security changed at the Vatican over the years?

Greg Burke: It got a lot tighter after the 1981 shooting. Often the Pope will appear only in his covered "Popemobile."

Chat Moderator: Do you speak Italian? Were there any obstacles in your communication with the Pope, i.e., language, security, etc?

Greg Burke: I do speak Italian. No, there weren't really any obstacles.

Question from karolus: What about security measures in St. Peter's for the holy year? Won't it be a prime target for terrorism or violence?

Greg Burke: Yes, the news of recent days would suggest that. I don't think the church of St. Peter's is so easy to penetrate. St Peter's Square, the square in front of the church, could be a lot more difficult to protect.

Question from karolus: What news?

Greg Burke: News that there had been threats against Americans abroad and that there would be Americans gathered in Rome for millennial activities.

Question from mouse: What did you learn doing this project?

Greg Burke: A lot. I think I learned, above all, that you learn a lot by reading the Pope's original writings, and not what the newspaper snippets and TV sound bytes give you. Some of the documents are very beautiful. "The Letter to Youth," "The Letter to Women, and the document called "The Gospel of Life" are really most interesting and most challenging.

Question from such: Where are these published for laymen?

Greg Burke: Yes, for everybody. As the Pope says on most of these documents, "to all men and women of good will."

Chat Moderator: What would you like people to learn from this book?

Greg Burke: I'd like people to learn that the Pope is more than someone who travels a lot and that he has a lot to say about the main questions that every man and woman he is concerned with or confronts during his lifetime.

Question from such: Where can you find them?

Greg Burke: You can find it in bookstores and on Amazon.com. It is an introduction to the Pope's writings. You can find most of the Pope's writings on the Vatican's website: www.vatican.va.

Question from Ben_Glickler: What might have become of the man had he not become the Pope?

Greg Burke: I think the Pope would have become a playwright, a poet, and maybe an actor, because he was already all three of those things. I think he would have just developed his skills along those lines.

Question from mouse: How does one make the jump from actor to Pope?

Greg Burke: It is not the same as going from actor to president. While the Pope was a young actor in the university, he saw that he should become a priest. So that was the beginning.

Question from mouse: What can we expect from the Catholic Church with the third millennium of Christianity upon us?

Greg Burke: I don't think we are going to see major changes. I think there will be some changes, above all, in the makeup of the church. The Catholic Church is growing very much in Africa and, to some degree, in Asia. I think the developing world will become much more a part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Question from genie2: Greg, in your book, do you tell how the Pope saw that he should become a priest?

Greg Burke: Yes, I do touch on it in an essay on vocation. But the Pope himself has written extensively on how he became a priest in a short book called "Gift and Mystery." He wrote that book on the 50th anniversary of his ordination.

Chat Moderator: Can you tell us a bit more about other contributors to the book?

Greg Burke: There are a lot of the Pope's quotes in the book. But I wrote all the essays and the Vatican's librarian wrote the introduction. His name is Archbishop Mejia.

Chat Moderator: Any final thoughts?

Greg Burke: This is a great book for anyone who is interested in learning a little more about what the Pope has to say on a wide variety of questions. And it is an easy read. There are a lot of big books about the Pope. This one is a little more manageable and especially timely because of the Jubilee.

Chat Moderator: Thank you, Greg Burke, for chatting with us today.

Greg Burke: Great! Thank you very much!