Return to Transcripts main page

LEGAL VIEW WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD

Pope Francis Conducts Mass. Aired 12:30-1p ET.

Aired September 23, 2015 - 12:30   ET

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


[12:30:00] POPE FRANCIS (through translator): ... to the words will keep them in life and holiness. According to the words of the Lord we have heard today, "Be holy, for I am holy."

I am pleased to meet you at this point in the apostolic mission that has brought me to your country. I would deeply like to thank Cardinal Wuerl and Archbishop Kurtz for their kind words, words that were also in your name. Please take aboard my appreciation for your welcome and generous efforts to plan and organize my stay.

I look out with the faction that you, the pastors, and in doing so, I would like to embrace of the local churches that you lovingly carry on your shoulders, and I would ask you to reassure them that my human and spiritual closeness makes us all one people of God throughout this vast land. The heart of the Pope expands to include everyone, expanding the heart to bear witness that God is great and His love is this very essence of the missions of Peter's successor, the vicar of the one who on the cross embrace the whole of mankind may now member of Christ for the -- or the American people feel excluded from the Pope's embrace.

Wherever the name of Jesus is spoken, may the Pope's voice also be heard there to affirm that He is the savior, from your great eastern coastal cities, to the plains of the Midwest, from Deep South to the far reaches of the west. Wherever your people gather in the Eucharistic assembly, may the Pope not simply be a name invoked out of habit, but a real tangible presence to sustain the fervent plea of the bride, come Lord.

When a hand reaches out to do good or to show a brother the love of Christ to dry a tear or comfort the lonely, to show the way to one who is lost or to console a broken heart, to help the fallen or teach those thirsting for truth, to forgive or offer a new start in God, know that the Pope is by your side, the Pope supports you. He also puts his hand on yours, a hand wrinkled with age, but by God's grace it's still able to support and encourage.

My first word is thanksgiving to God for the power of the Gospel which has allowed this remarkable growth of Christ's church in this land and enables its generous contribution that the church has offered in the past and in the present to the American society and the world.

[12:35:25] I thank you most heartily and really appreciate your generous solidarity with the apostolic to see and the support you give to the spread of the Gospel in many areas of the world where there is suffering. I appreciate the unfailing commitment of the church in America to the calls of life and the family that the primary reason for this visit of mine. I follow closely the immense effort you have made to welcome and integrate immigrants who continue to look to America like so many others before them in the hope of enjoying its blessing of freedom and prosperity.

I also admire the effort with which you are making to fulfill the church's mission of education in schools at every level and the charitable services that you offer in your numerous institutions. These works are often carried out without appreciation or support of their real value. And often with heroic sacrifice, maintained with the arms of the poor, because these initiatives grow out of obedience to a divine mandate which we may not disobey. I am conscious of the courage with which you have faced difficult moments in the recent history of the ecclesiastical path without fear of self-criticism and that the cost of mortification and great sacrifice, without giving in to the fear of giving up everything that is superfluous as long as you can regain the authority and trusts that is demanded of Christ's ministers, as the soul of your people demands.

I know how much the wounds of these last few years have weighed on your spirit, and I have joined my efforts to yours in the efforts of succoring those victims. And when we bring succor, then the victims are appeals and we have to hope that such crimes will never repeat themselves.

I speak to you as the Bishop of Rome, already in old age, but calls by God and coming from a land which is also American to watch over the unity of the universal church and to encourage in charity the journey of all the particular churches so that they may grow in knowledge, faith and love of Christ -- reading over your names, looking at your faces, knowing the extent of your churchmanship and conscious of the devotion with which you have always shown for the successor of Peter. I must tell you that I do not feel a stranger among your midst.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: Father Beck, I want you to weigh in here to what the Pontiff just said. These are significant words. He said, "I am also conscious of the courage with which you have faced difficult moments in the recent history of the church in this country." He went on to say, "I realize how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims."

[12:40:32] We are talking about the sex abuse scandal here in the United States. "In the knowledge that in healing, we too are healed and worked to insure that such crimes will never be repeated."

I want to get your reaction to those words. Some say that this is not enough outreach to the victims, more of an outreach to the bishops in this audience and the work they have done in this difficult times.

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTETOR: Well, Ashleigh, some would say that they are surprised he is even talking about it this early. They weren't sure how he would address it, and even if he was going to meet with victims, we hear he will meet with victims in Philadelphia. But what he said here is healing to victims and work to ensure such crimes never repeat themselves. He used the word "crimes." It's a strong word. It's a correct word. He's naming it. I think people have feeling...

BANFIELD: Had he used that word before?

BECK: I don't recall him using if may have, but to hear him say that here in the United States where this is then such an issue, I think is very healing for some people that he is naming it for what it is.

The recent history has certainly been a terrible one in the Catholic Church in the United States in particular, and I think this pope knows that. And so, he's addressing it up front, I think his first words to the U.S. bishops, and he's acknowledging that terrible history.

BANFIELD: And I mean, this is the first of the uncomfortable -- you know, right out of the gate, this is the first uncomfortable topic, and it is just minutes into his address.

BECK: Right.

BANFIELD: There is more to come. I think the bishops will have a whole lot of time to process that before he is going to move on to abortion and climate change and political topics.

BECK: And, of course, they'll be fine with abortion. Some of them wish he was speaking about abortion more. Remember, he said we don't need to speak just about these hot debate issues, and he is going to mention abortion, and many have hoped that he would. So a lot of them will be pleased with that, a lot of conservative Catholics will be pleased of that, because they have felt he has not focused a lot on abortion, same-sex marriage which are the right agendas, hot topics.

BANFIELD: Yeah. We have been hearing about religious e freedom, both from the pope and from the president this morning, and how this country prides itself on its religious freedom. And we are in the midst of an election race in which religious freedom, religion, the religion of the president, the religion that a president can or cannot be has taken center stage in, you know, news coverage in the last 48 hours.

BECK: It's interesting how they focused on different aspects of religious freedom this morning though. The president talked about it as the land of liberty and that how we need to be inclusive, but the pope was also talking about contraceptive mandate, and that is part of the religious liberty that the president did not speak about.

BANFIELD: Right.

BECK: And so there were both aspects of religious liberty that was spoken about.

BANFIELD: I'm going to take this opportunity to fit in a quick break as the pope continues to move towards controversial topics in front of these ministers (inaudible).

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [12:47:11] BANFIELD continuing with the coverage of the race for 2016, Donald Trump's feud with Fox News has escalated to some pretty new heights. In fact just moments ago the GOP frontrunner sent out a Tweet that he is boycotting Fox News.

This is what he wrote in the tweet. Fox News has been treating me very unfairly and I have therefore decided that I won't be doing any more Fox shows for the foreseeable future, better known as I'm not coming to your sand box. That how I use to say it when I six.

Want to discuss this with CNN Political Commentator Sally Cohen and Margaret Hoover is here, who're both here. There are couple things I want to talk to you. I want to about Trump and his Tweet, what to talk you about Trump on Colbert last night, and Ben Carson.

So let's start with the Tweet. Seriously?

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, is it is funny, because Trump has a new biographer and the biographers is about to come out, and he spent a lot time with Trump yeah, you know, time with him one-on-one, and by for (ph) said that even Trump has even acknowledged , but deep down he's basically 6 to 8-year-old boy.

SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I'd like to say he's a 14-year-old girl on Facebook, because a 14-year-old girl on Facebook says this, and you're not inverting to my work varieties (ph).

HOOVER: Look we have a fresh amendment, we had constitution, we have a free press. Certainly he right not to go wherever he want's to, but it's also the press right to say what they ever they want to. It's apparently there's a little bit more conspiracy.

Now conspiracy theory here, you know, it's his good friend Bill O'Reilly who he feels treated him very negatively by not posting polls that showed his high level.

BANFIELD: Wait, I don't know what, wait, wait. I don't know what to ask Sally now, because this is a comment I would get from Sally. I would not get this from my republican commentator. Dogs and cats are living

KOHN: I don't know if single.

BANFIELD: There's mass hysteria.

KOHN: OK. First of all Margaret seem one of my favorite Republicans. I don't know a single thoughtful Republican who doesn't thinks that Donald Trump is not only a ridiculous candidate but problematic for the Democracy let me just so and by the way probably.

HOOVER: Daily Trumpsy (ph).

KOHN: Trump he's own immature usually.

HOOVER: You said problematic for democracy? Look, I think our Democratic republic, and I think the United States of America, and I think the premises that our founders built our country off of are not anything that he is ripping off of the run the country.

BANFIELD: But they've protected David Duke has the right to run.

KOHN: Well, that's right protect to right to vote?

HOOVER: I'm not arguing at the first amendment, of course, he can go knock on Fox News.

BANFIELD: But our Democracy prides itself on having every one.

KOHN: Right, but it can be a sign of unhealthy Democracy when a candidate like Donald Trump.

BANFIELD: OK. So there's a way to characterize

KOHN: So I think that's a..

BANFIELD: It's a signed of market.

KOHN: In celebrity obsessed lowest common denominator, race to the bottom, and let's talk about every, you know, swift of the hair and not actually about substance in a political debate.

BANFIELD: I think that the tweets are ridiculous.

KOHN: Are what this happen to know.

BANFIELD: I think how he treats people he doesn't like is ridiculous, I have been on the receiving end of some vile foul language from Donald Trump because he didn't like the question I ask. And quite frankly I think was softball.

[12:50:02] However...

KOHN: Evident where there often softball too.

BANFIELD: I do agree who say.

KOHN: People think he should be president?

BANFIELD: I do agree with to those who say, it's not bad having a guy like this to shake out some of the views that are out there, and really test other candidates.

HOOVER: You know, what. That's Stephen Colbert asked a softball question last night also on his show.

KOHN: These all questions,

HOOVER: He says here the meatball. Here's the last time you ever have to answer this question and then no one would ask her again.

BANFIELD: Should we play it?

HOOVER: Let's play it.

BANFIELD: Let's play it. Let's play the sound bit and we'll talk about in a minute. Here it goes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN COLBERT, THE LATE SHOW: This is the last time you ever have to address to question if you hit the ball, OK?

DONALD TRUMP, GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Go ahead.

COLBERT: Talk hold this like soft all over my hands, it's meat ball.

TRUMP: Gosh.

COLBERT: So big, OK?

TRUMP: I want to hear this.

COLBERT: Barack Obama, born in the United States.

TRUMP: Let me just say.

COLBERT: What is it? It's a meatball.

TRUMP: I know.

COLBERT: its hanging out there, right there come on.

TRUMP: I would (inaudible). And you want to know, I don't talk about it any more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOOVER: You don't talk about it anyone. You talk about by saying, I don't talk about it.

KOHN: I mean, you know him like our fax irrelevant to political candidates or policy positions a relevant to political -- I mean this is just -- I don't know.

BANFIELD: It might have taken the Holy Father to say and Mr. President, thank you for being such a good Christian or maybe some people do not believe that he's a Muslim or a non-American.

KOHN: I think we're seeing a really great example in America right now of someone who has political differences. Fundamental ideological differences with Democrats with the President still being civil and still raising those in very moral and...

BANFIELD: Got to wrap it there because w got such a busy day. We think its coverage et cetera ladies. Thank you.

HOOVER: Thank you.

BANFIELD: It was nice. Again you're confusing me to no end you better start wearing colors or something that will keep me straight. I like your opinion will be.

KOHN: I will.

BANFIELD: It's Sally Kohn, Margaret Hoover as always, appreciate it. We got more this coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:55:24] BANFIELD: Other big top stories we're covering today here on CNN. Official for Volkswagen are saying that criminal charges could be in store right now against any individuals involved in the rigging of U.S. emissions test. Companies CEO Martin Winterkorn has now resigned as result of the scandal. And the search course successor that's begin on Friday. What this state.

Egypt's president has issued a pardon for 100 prisoners and that include the Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. Those two had been accused of operating without a press license and broadcasting material harmful to Egypt. Yes, that happens in other country. They had denied those charges, they went through the trials, but now the pardon comes one day before Egypt's president attending the United Nations general assembly, interesting timing.

China's President Xi Jinping begin he's U.S. strip with a stop in Seattle, Washington. There he meets with CEOs from some of the countries largest business. Think of these as a warmup act before the president's first official visit to Washington, D.C. President Xi will be meeting with President Obama, on the agenda is China's response to its stock market crisis and cyber crime.

The ex-girlfriend of mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger is facing a new indictment today. Catherine Greig is accused of refusing to divulge details about her relationship with Whitey Bulger in their 16 years on the run. She'd been called to testify about anybody who may have assisted in harboring Whitey Bulger, she's already serving a year prison sentence for identify fraud and helping one of the FBI's most wanted men.

Thanks for watching us everyone today. It's been a busy day, and CNN continues to be busy with our special coverage of the pope's visit here in the United States. It continues after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)