>>> john paul ii was a pilgrim pope, visiting more than 100 countries, a political pope, standing firm against communism, a personal pope who touched millions with his magnetism. now the church declares him a blessed pope, one step from sainthood. live from the vatican, the beatification of john paul ii. john paul ii was one of the extraordinary men of our era, a voice of conscious and a magnetic figure who drew millions every time he traveled. he has drawn millions to rome today to see him move one step closer to sainthood. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. the crowds in rome are marking this day in the minutes ahead. the beatification mass of john paul ii. he reigned as hope from 1978 until his death in age 84 in 2005. he is soon to be be atrophied and recognized as blessed in a mass led by a man who knew him well and seceded him as pope, john paul xvi. does that mean that he with stands all criticism, that his guidance of the church is without fault? officially, the vatican assists that be atrophying and cannonizing a pope is not everything. despite e

to listen, pope benedict xvi is about to begin.at the if you remember of pope john paul ii, and... he had an immense grace, that embraced the whole world. a grace which was in some way the fruit of my beloved predecessor's entire life and, especially, of his witness in suffering. even then we perceived the fragrance of his sanctity and in any number of ways god's people have showed their veneration for him. for this reason, with all due respect for the church's canonical norms, i want the call of beatification to move forward with reasonable haste. and now, the longed-for day has come. it came quickly because that is what was pleasing to the lord. john paul ii is blessed. [applause] . >> i would like to offer a reading to all of you who, on this happy occasion, have come in such great numbers to rome from all over the world. cardinals, patriarchs of the eastern catholic churches, brother bishops and priests, official delegations, and, ambassadors and civil authorities, consecrated lay men and women and extend that greeting to all w

these are the words that he proclaimed so famously in his first homily, as pope.t be afraid and then he he said open wide the door, wide the doors to christ. and he lived it. he lived it during the nazi occupation of his homeland, poland and lived it in the death of all of his family members and lived it in being named a pope, and he lived it also in his suffering as we heard in the homily. he was stripped of everything he had by the very god who he had dedicated his life to and yet, he stood there and said, do not be afraid. and that great polish accent, said so well in english. >> and he in many ways paralleled the suffering of jesus some would say and he obviously suffered the 1981 assassination attempt and parkenson's. and the first attempt at sainthood and miracle with him, with marie pierre, the french nun who says she's been cured of parken son's because she prayed to the pontiff. father, what's the next step and what can we expect in the next couple of years? >> so, there's been thousands of apparent o-supposed miracles submitted to the congregation to the

you know, one of the things that pope benedict talked about in the homily, pope john paul ii's devotionalked about it in the papal coat of arms and the letter m. many don't realize when he became pope it was unheard of to have a letter in your coat of arms and he had to fight for that, but shows how he lived out his faith because so many people talked about how his devotion to the virgin mary, the mother of jesus was rooted in his own painful los

the pope confirmed me. i'm so happy, so overjoyed. >> the john paul scepter is being built near krakov. the cardinal launched the project. funded by donations from all over the world, the center is still a huge construction site. but the big church is slated to be completed in june. this is what the altar will look like. a vile of the pope's blood taken from him in the hospital shortly before he died will be enclosed in the wall as a relic. >> i'm sure this holy site will become famous. i hope it might even become a second lords. >> for years, poland's catholic church has been shifting focus back to the saints and their relics. a few years ago, the village priest in southern poland started exhibiting a collection of relics in the town's church. now it's famous throughout the country and poles come to see more than 100 items. like hair from the holy nun. poland voted the father priest of the year for his dedication. his greatest wish now is to get a relic from pope john paul ii. he brushes off criticism of h

pope john paul ii at the vatican.very well. it was that moment when they unveiled right in front of st. peter's behind me, that beautiful tapestry with the picture of pope john paul ii on it, about 17 years into his service, and you see the life in him and the cheer that went up from the crowd was long and sustained and the flags were flying and people crying, and it was quite an extraordinary moment. many of the people here who have come from far distant lands, we saw a lot of polish flags, and people had been here and who had waited more than six years. pope john paul now, alex, officially known as blessed. >> all right. chris jansing, i know we will speak with you again next hour and look forward to it. thank you. >>> sunday church services are filling with those mourning the dead after last week's devastating storms. in alabama alone officials say many were killed in the storms. and charles, what is the latest from there? >> reporter: good moerpg. as you mentioned, church services are beginning across alabama. a l

pope john paul ii's coffin and a vial of blood were displayed. the beatification process is being called one of the fastest in modern history. richard reeve is live in northwest washington. >> this is a big day for catholics. there are some that are angered by the timing. the sex abuse scandal broke out during pope john paul ii's watch. from the massive vatican crowd and a new portrait there. >> i think he was the best hope in history. >> to this shrine in sober spring. he was such a great person. he inspected it everybody in the whole world. >> the beatification is a special day i made the catholic church. >> there are times when everybody says, this is obvious. >> people really listened to him and identified themselves, what he was saying. >> to be sainted pope john paul ii needs another miracle. a french nun miraculously cured of parkinsons' after she prayed with the pope. >> he truly seemed like a saint. >> it took thomas more 407 years. pope john paul ii is one step away 6 years after his death. some are offended by the speed of this process

john paul, and for the election of pope benedict, to see pope benedict saying mass here, and i thought looking, frankly, very good. his voice seemed to be very strong, with this man with whom he was so very close, but there were also so many thousands and i'm sure tens if not hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who came here, who also came for the funeral, who have followed this process throughout. and it was a very emotional. there were more than a few tears in this crowd in addition to all the cheers we heard, alex. >> yeah. well, a day of high emotion. chris jansing, thank you so much. we'll see you throughout the morning. >>> meantime, everyone back in the states, survivors in the south search through what is left of their homes as others say good-bye to loved ones lost in tornadoes across the region. dozens of funerals are taking place for more than the 340 people who were killed wednesday across seven states. in hard-hit alabama, the national guard, fema and other volunteer groups are helping to provide food and shelter for those who are now homeless. fema also has officials on you

of god shall be declared blessed. >> reporter: pope benedict xvi declared pope john paul, ii blessed. the crowd erupted and some were moved to tears as an enormous picture was unfurled. >> everyone around the world saw him as father, holy father. he is blessed in heaven. >> reporter: buy at at the identification requires the verification of a miracle. the church says this woman, a french nun was cured of parkinson's after praying to the late pope. one more miracle is required for him to be canonized. >> he lived what he preached. he per sonny identified the gospel. >> reporter: there is no special timetable for how long long it will take him to be canonized but most expect it to take a few years. in rome, jennifer davis, fox news. >> pope john paul, ii came to washington, d.c. in 179 and visited the basilica shrine of the i am make cue late conception in the northeast. he left behind some momentos. as tisha thompson explains, they have an important role to play. >> the bells seem to ring louder as visitors from as far away as the philippines came here to the basilica to celebrate. >>

lot. >> reporter: the crowd roared when the pope declared the former pope among the blessed, taking him step closer to saint hood. he credited the pope with a miracle, a french nun said her prayers to the late pope cured her of parkinson's, proof of one more miracle is needed for saint hood. for devout catholics seeing pope john paul honored was emotional. >> really hard to describe but there was a probably -- not a single time i was in his presence that i wasn't moved to tearsful. >> reporter: the turn out of 1.1 million exceeded even the highest expectations and into the evening followers were still filing in to view the coffin and pay their respects. it's the fastest in modern times, to fast for those who say the pope should be held responsible for sexual abuse scandals in the catholic church that happened on his watch. >> races questions on if he should be honored. >> reporter: for fans there is no question. they were shouting he should be made a saint the moment he died. now he is one miracle away from becoming one. >> hopefully you got a chance it enjoy the beautiful weekend and l

thousands watch as pope john paul ii is beatfied. and new details about prince's wedding. >> who, trumping trump. he lampoons the tycoon at a gala in washington. you will hear about the highlights right here. welcome to "msnbc sunday," and it's 8:00 a.m. here on the east coast, and 5:00 a.m. out west. >>> a spokesman for the libyan government says gadhafi's youngest son and grandchildren under the age of 12 were all killed in the strike last night. mike taibbi is there. good morning. >> reporter: it happened 8:30 local time. we heard two explosions, and we were brought to the cam pound for the gadhafi family, we were shown that two were virtually destroyed, and there was ununexploitunune ununexploded missile. it was explained that the youngest of the seven sons of moammar gadhafi had been killed, along with three of the gadhafi's grandchildren, all under the age of 12. the government spokesman called it a direct operation aimed at an assassination of the country. and in all instances in the campaign bombing were targeted on military

peter's square all celebrating today's beatification ceremony for the late pope paul the second, it's a last step before state see to it in the catholic faith. >> the services in st. peter's square were shown all over the world including here in chicago where people got up early to watch the services on big screens downtown. the celebrations and vatican city went on for hours. >> dino was there and she joins us now live tonight from rome with our top story. >> it w w an amazing event you can see saint peter's dome behind me there. it is not new to religious celebrations filled with circumstance but this day was it different, pope john paul the second walked the earth and touched so many lives physically and spiritually. they were amazed that a man they knew is now one step closer to becoming a seat. saint. the threat of rain did not keep some from staying on the streets all night. as the sun rose over rome the square quickly filled. hearing the holy father tell them john paul walks with jesus. celebrating with the cardinal wearing the mitre john paul or in his final years. the new ima

>>> coming up, the beatification of pope john paul ii. how does someone become a roman catholic saint? >>> also, in india, yoga for prisoners. >>> and remembering the holocaust. >>> major funding for "religion and ethics newsweekly" is provided by the lilly endowment, an indianapolis based private family foundation dedicated to its founders' interest in religion, community development, and education. additional funding by mutual of america, designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. and the corporation for public broadcasting. >>> welcome. i'm bob abernethy. it's good to have you with us. hundreds of thousands gathered for celebrations in rome this weekend as pope john paul ii moves to the final stage before being proclaimed a saint. john paul's beatification comes just six years after his death. it's the fastest on record. the roman catholic church has a complicated and usually very lengthy process for recognizing sainthood. kim lawton has our special report. >> reporter: sain

they believe the pope performed a miracle just for them. cnn's elizabeth tumarak has their story. >> i was on my way to hospital. i begged him to efface this vision and that's what happened. >> she believes divine intervention from pope john paul ii healed her son, christopher. in 2007 he suffered a serious eye injury after a freak accident building shelves. >> three days he was bleeding from the eye so bad, and any specialist cannot tell what happened. they say they cannot see it, if he lost vision or not. >> dr. kirk paco examined christopher in chicago. he said christopher was a hair close to being blind in that eye. the eye was hit hard enough to damage the microoptic fibers but not hard enough to go blind. he got lucky. joanna grew up near john paul's home town near poland and said it's her strong connection to the pontiff that gives her faith and healing powers. >> i know john paul ii did it for him, and that's always why, in a difficult time, i'm going to pray to him because he was the one who gave me a miracle. >> she says the makin

pope, "mr. field's economists estimate corn prices would fall by $1 a bushel if ethanol blaming wasn't subsidized." if it's smithfield's economists, it must be coming directly from the company. smithfield may want to invest then in better economists. according to an april 2011 studied issued by the center for agriculture rural development at iowa state university, only 14 cents or 8% of the increase in corn prices from 2006 to 2009 was due to ethanol subsidies. the study also found that without the ethanol subsidy corn prices would have averaged only 4% less over the same period of time. finally, the article calls into question the value of ethanol to our nation's energy supply. it states -- quote -- "the ethanol industry would supply only 4% of the nation's annual energy needs even if it used 100% of the corn crop. " this is a strawman. no one is arguing that ethanol will replace our nation's entire energy needs. using 23% of the corn crop we're displacing nearly 10% of our nation's foreign oil

she prayed to the late pope and he cured her of parakinson's disease. vlad can officials are convinced it is the miracle needed. >> her story was the highlight of the evening's vigil. >> this ceremony is just the beginning for pilgrims who have come from around the globe to be here. some will keep praying until dawn. visiting churches that remain open all night. >> you are very strong. you have a big heart and connect with people so well. >> pope john paul's viadification is the fastest in modern history. some catholics say it's too fast and fails to take into account the sex scandal that rocked the church, but the pope's overwelming popularity has the vatican preparing for 500,000 people. his coffin has been taken from the crypt under st. peter's basilica and placed by the main altar. cbs news, rome. >>> next, a special wedding anniversary present for a top selling singer and her husband. also, their not yet off to celebrate wedding bliss. why the royal couple postponed their honeymoon. [ male announcer ] edmunds.com says that lexus holds its value bet

there you see pope benedict beautifying his former pope, a step closer to becoming a saint. hundreds of thousands of people crowded into st. peter's square to witness this blessing. pope john paul is credited with one miracle, the nun he reportedly healed is there, she's a part of this ceremony. even though we have so many people who pushed into the square there and you see these live pictures that we can show you, an estimated million people or more are in the streets around st. peter's basilica and also in rome, there's a shot of the dignitaries, heads of state, royal families around the world who have come for this event for today. the ceremony continues as we speak. we do have our own john allen, who is there for us, cnn senior vet khan analyst, there in rome. good morning to you. to our viewers here, explain what you saw this morning, and just the outpouring of emotion and response in the streets today. ♪ >> reporter: good morning, t.j. first of all, i want to remind you that i told you on your air yesterday that despite the rainy, gloomy weather in rome yesterday that

thousands cheered as pope benedict pronounced john paul blessed. the beatification is the fastest in modern times. he is one step closer to saibthood. he need another miracle attributed to him. reports of inex-mickable cures are already pouring in. >> enthusiasm for pope john paul~ii stretched to st. mary's cathedral here in san francisco. we have a report from a well-attended sunday service. >> they came to sunday services with one thing in mind, to celebrate a man on his way to becoming a saint, and while they represented countries from around the world, no one was more proud than those who share the same homeland as pope john paul~ii. >> i love the man for this charismatic values and everything he had to offer to people, how kind and polite and caring he was. >> more than two decade ago the pope's visit to san francisco packed cathedrals and filled the stadium. on the day he was beef at -- beatified in room, the bay area faithful turned out again, celebrating on their own. >> a proclamation by the church of how great passport god -- how great go

a listening pope. >> reporter: the pope himself did not attend the conference, but sent his secretary of state. most of those attending spoke in support of the church's teaching, but there was some disagreement. michel sidibe is the head of un aids which strongly endorses the use of condoms as a prevention strategy. >> i welcome pope benedict's recent clarification of the use of condoms for h.i.v. prevention. this is very important. >> reporter: monsignor jean- marie mpendawatu musivi was one of the conference organizers. >> ( translated ): i think we should read everything in the whole speech that the pope made, because if you just extrapolate a few sentences then these few sentences will not give you the whole meaning of the discourse of the pope. therefore, you have to go into details and read the entire passage in order to understand the real meaning. >> reporter: meaning, in short, that the pope's statement did not change policy. catholics, and catholic agencies, would not use condoms as part of an aids prevention strategy. sean callahan is with u.s. based catholic relief service

pope: "we allow -3 that the venerable servant of blessed .." in front of an enormmus crowd oo catholicc -3 ttat filled st peeer'sssquaree ppilling into the surrounding streets - pope benedict the 16th declared john paul the second blessed.the crrwd erupted and some were moved too pears as aa enormous photo of the popular pontiff waa unfurleddin st eter's squure by the current pope - were 3 paul he second's coffin - to &ppray ann pay their respects. father robert gahl: "everyonee around the world aw him as a &pfather,,holy ffther, and peally today now people are pelebratinggthat he is blessee, he isshappy in heaven and he is a holy father." beatification requires the verification of a miraclee the church saas this oman - a & prennh nuu -- wws miraculously cured of parkinson'' disease after prayiiggto theelate pppe. now one morr mmracle is required for him to be rigali: "he lived what he preached ann he personified thh gospel. peopleethink that is great." there's no officiall estimate of how ong it will take for joon paul the secood -3 to be cano

the pope led the ceremony in saint peters square before a tapestry was revealed of pope john paul. the vatican said the pope cured a french nun of parkinson's make. the woman took part in the mass. the church must certify a second event for the late pope to qualify. >> it's the fastest in modern timesw. have more on the effort to turn the pope into a saint. she is live. >> reporter: ken this program was handed to people here, it shows a painting of the pope underneath a golden gate bridge. he was a loved man but one group wonders if his ceremony is just to help boost the image of the catholic church. inside the church the faithful gathered, the pews packed to honor a man one step closer to being a saint, pope john paul the second. >> it's a big day of giving praise to a man that throughout his life was an example of integrity. . >> reporter: the pope's ceremony was celebrated here. >> john paul was a living embodiment of the compassion of christ. >> reporter: members from 18 different countries came as part of the ceremony. for the polish community it was moving to see the pope fro

how did pope john paul ii change the overall idea of what a pope should be?e radically changed it. think of his predecessor paul vi, he visited a handful of -- prior to that they were the prisoners of the vatican. john paul ii revolutionized all of that. he saw the papacy as not only the chief administrative officer of the vatican, but the evangelist to the world. his job was to announce jesus christ to all nations of the world. he absolutely changed the papacy. >> father barron, as we are looking at pictures of the crowd still streaming past his casket, what do you think it is about him that inspired his continuing devotion and adoration. >> >> alex, i think it's mysterious, he was the man of the theater, a man who knew how to stride the world stage, a man of great charisma, he affected the world, the downfall of communism, but finally it's mysterious. six years after his death, look at the crowd waiting to get in. maybe the best answer we can find is this. he was a man of such rich integrity. his whole like was gathered to clearly around christ, and everyon

vatican officials said it was the miracle needed for the pope to be beatified.as the highlight of the evening's vigil. >> reporter: pilgrims came from around the globe to be here. some will keep praying until dawn, visiting churches that remain open all night. >> she was very strong. she had a big heart. and he connect with people so well. >> pope john paul's beatification is the fastest in modern history. some catholics say it's too fast, and that it fails to take into account the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the catholic church during his papacy. but the charismatic pope's overwhelming popularity has the vatican preparing for 500,000 people to attend the beatification. his coffin has been taken from the crypt under st. peter's basilica and will be placed in front of the main altar for visitors to pass and pay their respect after the service. charlie dagett, cbs news, rome. >> the wishthe bishop will be there tomorrow, a man he knew well. >> he had a way of reaching and touching people so that they knew that he cared for them personally. >> cardinal wells s

peter's square and beyond to hear pope john paul ii declared blessed.ling of a giant tapestry of the late pontiff signaled beatification. and unleashed wave of emotion. many in the crowd slept in the streets to get a spot in the square, including john and natalie of st. paul, minnesota. >> we camped out until 4:00 in the morning. then we got in line for about five hours. but it was worth it. >> absolutely. >> reporter: susan labelle came to honor the man who changed her life. >> world peace day in '93 came to denver. and he turned me around and made me look at christ. >> reporter: at mass, this french nun who says john paul cured her parkinson's disease carried a relic of his blood to the alter. igniting memories of that tragic day in 1981 for chicago's cardinal francis george. >> with the relic, you know, his blood was spilled on that piazza. now his blood was here at talter. i just found that overpowering. >> reporter: the proudest people in the crowd were john paul's fellow poles waving their color. pope benedict xvi remembered his predecessor as a r

mari says it is this photo near the end of the pope's life. sick to attend, he watches the stations of the cross on tv, holding on to the cross, his source of strength even as he suffered. for washington cardinal donald wuehrl, he says john paul was and remains a beacon of hope. >> we need heroes. we need people we can look up to. we need people who achieve the very things that we're attempting to do. >> these pilgrims are in for a long night. they're not expected to be let into st. peter's square until 6:00 tomorrow morning, and then the mass that will beatify this still-popular pope begins at 10:00. lester? >> anne thompson in rome tonight. we'll look for your reports tomorrow, anne. thanks. >>> when "nightly news" continues on this saturday, news from london on this day after the royal wedding. the future king and queen get out of town. >>> and later, making a difference. putting aside a famous rivalry to help those in need here in alabama. >>> they were catching their breath today in london, one day after putting on a royal wedding spectac

. >> hundreds of thousands descend on from for the beatification of pope john paul ii.e will show you how the pontiff was honored here in the baltimore. >> matt damon. i love him. he said he was disappointed in my performance. >> well, i just saw "the adjustment bureau," so right back at you, buddy. >> it becomes the stage for his witty comebacks, but he had to >> no one is happier, no one is prouder to putting this birth certificate issue to rest so he can get back to the issues that matter like did we fake to the moon landings? [laughter] what happened in roswell? where are biggy and tupac? [laughter] >> the president had some fun of his own. donald trump was at the correspondents dinner and as smart as the president and the jokes on him. this morning he called the jokes "inappropriate." the last watch for endeavor has been postponed until may 8th. a control box needs to be replaced for a heating bauxite . it will take several days to complete. bove john paul ii is one step closer to sainthood. we will assure you how the pope was honored right here in baltimore. >> we

peters square to honor pope john paul.nce his coffin was closed and placed in the crypt in the basilica. workers removed it from the marble tomb and with cardinals as the foreman they placed it in front of st. peter. today the closed cassette is in front of the altar where he lay in state six years ago. both pope benedict and cardinals were the first to pay their respect. in life, he was a towering figure, not just for the church, but on the world stage. in death, there everybody questions about his stewardship of an institution rocked by internal divisions and by scandal. he inspire the revolution that ultimately forced the collapse of communism. shortly after election, the young pope exhorted to his fellow poles, do not be afraid. he gave them courage to rise up said lech what len za. soviet leader mikhail gorbachev said the collapse of the iron curtain would have been impossible without john paul. >> the people shouting santos" some people are saying "hold the halo." >> same people saying "hold the halo" now are the sam

the world's pope moves closer to sainthood. which deserved more media attention next on news batch. -- watch. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement solutions for our military, veterans and their families. from investments... to life insurance... to health care options. learn more at usaa.com/retirement or call 877-242-usaa. >> prince william and kate middleton tied the knot in london. it was to be the final flight of the space shuttle endeavor. a delay and a side story of captain markicle yehis wife congresswoman gav gav giffords is bigger than the mission itself. >> and beatification of pope jaul paul and bringing him close to sainthood. >> which story won. i am going to the wedding, am i wrong? >> hands down. media focus on the wedding was encredible. entertainment tonight and access hollywood broadcasting two weeks in advance. i myself resisted getting caught up until the very end and got sucked in. >> 6:00 a.m. on f

at the vatican pope john paul ii was beatified today six years after his death. his quick rise toward sainthood was celebrated by many but protested by some. allen pizzey was there. >> reporter: it was what was-termed the largest mass since his funeral an estimated 1.5 million people gathered to see pope john paul ii beatified, one step short of st.hood. in his homily pope benedict xvi said john paul ii restored to christianity its true face as a religion of hope. the crowd needed no prompting when a banner of john paul ii's likeness was unrolled from the balcony where he made his first speech as pope. >> it is great that he will be canonized soon after his beatification. so i also tell my friends about him. about his holliness. >> reporter: as befitting the first truly mass media pope, the ceremony was streamed live on facebook and twitter. for an institution that measured its time frame in centuries, beatifying john paul ii a mere six years after his death is moving at warp speed. it's the fastest such elevation in modern church history edging out moth err tere

both pope benedict and cardinals were the first to pay their respect.as a towering figure, not just for the church, but on the world stage. in death, there have been questions about his stewardship of an institution rocked by internal divisions and by scandal. >> he inspired the revolution that ultimately forced the collapse of communism. shortly after election, the young pope exhorted to his fellow poles, do not be afraid. he gave them courage to rise up said lech walenza, the first to challenge authority. soviet leader mikhail gorbachev said the collapse of the iron curtain would have been impossible without john paul. he also had plenty of detractors because of the handling of the massive church abuse scandal that happened on his watch. >> the people shouting santo subito, are still the people shouting "santo subito. but some people are saying "hold the halo." >> same people saying "hold the halo" now are the same that would say it five years ago. >> his name will forever be blessed, pope benedict proclaimed in today's beatification mass. that moment

. >>> pope john paul the second on the fast track to saint hood. where others are protesting that honor it is 7:37 a.m. hey, better late than never. thank for joining us i am ann makovec >> we had a technical problem we have it fixed we have a great hour of newtalk ahead of us. we will talk libya, san francisco police, oakland, an update on the situation there plus are government workers being scapegoated. >> overnight, oakland firefighters searching for the cause of a fire in an old victorian building. this started before 2:30 a.m., it took almost 50 firefighters to contain this fire at martin luther king junior way and 32nd street. no reports of any injuries. >>> we had a 3 story victorian building, heavy fire second and third floor, and went into defensive attack to knock down the fire. once it was knocked down we allowed some companies to go inside to i think so ting wish a smaller portion of fire >> they didn't need help from outside agencies because they didn't have any cuts to staffing. a little political statement there. they also said they

they started in march and walked here for this beatification, so yes, the first polish pope was very well represented by his countrymen, who i have no doubt, however lounge it takes will be here when he's made a saint. >> they have a lot of pride about it. chris jansing, thanks so much. we'll see you again. >>> let's go to washington. tough words from michael bloomberg this morning on the state of d.c. politics. the independent mayor sat down on "meet the press" where he criticized both sides of the aisle. >> how much chaos and destruction to our economy do we have to do before everybody in washington starts acting like an adult, coming together and not pandering to small voting blocs and say this is in the interests of the country. we need leadership from the front. >> let's bring in mike viqueira, live at the white house at his post. good morning. >> good morning, alex. >> congress returns shortly from the recess. where does the debate pick up? >> reporter: there will be two things on the. gas prices is one, as we headed into this weekend, you're going to see competing proposals fr

to have this extraordinary opportunity converse with you during the mission. >> alan: pope benedict xvi bestowed a historic blessing on the 12 strawtz -- astronauts circling earth. it included good wishes for gabrielle giffords. the pope said he admired the astronauts courage, discipline and commitment. >> i believe it was very interesting event for him. in fact it was the first time that the pope has called to a station in space and i think it's really touched him. >> alan: the extraordinary conversation as pope benedict described, occurred after the astronauts inspects a small gash in the shuttles belly. nasa says the gash poses no safety concern. >>> iceland's most active volcano is erupting. an eruption has begun. local media are reporting smoke can be seen coming from the volcano. scientists have been expecting the eruption but it is not expected to cause a disruption to air travel. >> historic flooding forced thousands of gulf coast residents from their homes, but tonight, evacuations has been postponed at the mississippi is at a slow rise. >>> cloudy and breezier weather in t

. >> alan: there's much more still ahead, including a new honor for the late pope john paul ii. thousands of pay area catholics celebrate, but there were some protesters as well. we'll explain. >> leigh: turned out to be a superday for opening day on the bay this afternoon. you're looking at a live shot from the high definition mount tamalpais camera. temperatures in the 80s. we look at the current read >> alan: a million and a half catholic faithful cleared outside the vatican as pope ben ticket beatified the late pope john paul~ii. >> john paul ii, from this moment on, be called blessed. ♪ >> alan: the late pontiff now moves one step closer to sainthood. an enormous portrait or the smiling john paul was unveiled before an adoring crowd, the beatification just six years after his death. many came all the way from poland. the enthusiasm stretched to st. mary's cathedral here in san francisco. it was a well-attended sudden service. >> reporter: they came to sunday service with one thing in common, celebrate a man on his way to becoming a saint, and while they represented countrie

he was one of the most popular popes. almost immediately after his death, talk of this day and what lies beyond it, sainthood, began circulatin circulating. the speed at which it has happened was as unprecedented as the popularity of this pontiff. we did get reaction from local catholics. >> he was such a loved figure worldwide. he seemed to have a real connection with people. it made sense there would be eventually an outpouring of support for him to be a saint. >> he was an outstanding pope, outstanding person. did he a lot for humanity. it's to be expected of this. >> and the church needs an uplift, do you think? >> it definitely needs an uplift. the wedding and now this. i think everybody's extremely happy. >> and in another local related development, the archdiocese of washington has formally announced the formation of a new seminary to be named after pope john paul, the blessed john paul ii seminary located on taylor street near catholic university. that is scheduled to officially open this fall. we're live outside

and the ceremony for the pope. charlie is reporting for wjz.an. >> reporter: thousands packed the square for pope john paul ii. the mass celebrated by pope benedict declared his credit that he is now among the blessed. >> and human race. >> reporter: a french nan -- nun explains how he cured her parkinson's disease. and the vatican called it a miracle. >> we don't have saints to say that guy is really awesome. we have it so we can inspire to live life like them ghvment more than a million people around the worldcom to attend the ceremony and honor pope john paul ii. >> reporter: the ceremony preceded despite the misgivings of those who say john paul should be held responsible for the claire delineate sex abuse scandal because it happened under his watch, but those who knew the pope best say he was deserving. >> he had a way of reaching and touching people so that they knew that he cared for them personally. >> reporter: the pope's coffin was taken from the crypt under st. peter and placed it under the main altar for visitors to pass and pay the

some say it was not intended to look exactly like the pope. >> it is not often you hear the word, popeul the segment aired and mussolini in the same sentence. -- second and miscellany in the same sentence. they -- mussolini in the same sentence. who could it look like? mussolini. what is the problem? i do not know. there is not much love. put one over here and the other over there. >> the artist says he did not intend it to look exactly like the pope. it has already been marked as a giant shelter for the homeless. the city is wondering whether to take it down. others have been kinder. >> a process brought to this decision was not just taken by myself but was an elaborate one. many politicians and others came to this decision. >> pope john paul always was a towering figure. the consensus seems to be that this piece is taking martinez -- a modernist trends too far down the line. abc news, rome. >> tens of thousands of protesters are defying the gathering at the local elections in one country. high unemployment has led to days of demonstrations. they will order police to break up the crow

"from now on, pope john paul shawl be called blessed," pope benedict proclaimed in latin.ith that, they unveiled a tapestry, hung from the window in st. peter's, an emotional moment for this crowd. then, the french nun cured of parkinson's disease after she prayed to the late pope quietly approached the altar. that chalice contains a vile of john paul's blood, taken during a medical procedure. now, it's a precious relic of the church. >> the blood is still liquefied. not because of any miracle but because they put an anti-coe wag lant in the blood. >> reporter: to be sure, pope john paul ii does have detractors. especially over his handling of church sexual abuse. the most painful scandal ever to hit the modern church happened on his watch. >> he suffers from some criticism of maybe being slower than people would have wanted, but when he finally, i think, tuned into it, he took very decisive action. i was here. >> reporter: but to millions, he meant the world. and they're now praying for another miracle. kneeling at blessed pope john paul's coffin, now one step closer to s

visit ftd.com. >>> catholics now call him pope, but one day pope john paul ii could be called saint. today a giant tapestry of him was unveiled. the ceremony means now he can be called blessed, a title given when you have one confirmed miracle under your name. that involves sister marie seen carrying pope john paul's blood. she says he cured her of parkinson's disease. he needs a second confirmed miracle to be declared a saint. much more on the event ahead here on cnn. >>> breaking news yesterday about moammar gadhafi. he's firing back. libyan forces opened fire on miss a ta today in the heaviest shelling scene in weeks. in tripoli groups described as organized mobs ransacked empty embassies belonging to the u.s. and several other countries. the attacks followed word that nato air strikes killed a son of gadhafi and three of the libyan leader's grandchildren. the libyan government says saif al arab gadhafi died in the blast. moammar data fee was in the same building but survived. nato says they do not target individuals. >>> here's a firstland hook at the scene of the bombing now in

the church has accepted a first miracle attributed to pope john paul. a second verified miracle is needed for sainthood. this is the highest honor. john paul will be known as blessed. the beatification process was began right after his death in 2005. it was joy us for catholics all around the world and joining me is susan tim one, the executive director for esankellization and family life for the archdiocese of washington. we have millions of people, beautiful ceremonies this morning. >> gorgeous. >> and we have 16 heads of state, 7 prime ministers, five members of europe royal families, this is bigger than just the catholic church. >> i think so. and it is so indicative of the impact that pope john paul ii had in the world. he traveled the ends of earth and he was willing to meet with anyone who was interested in knowing what it is that the church can offer the world. and so i think it's an absolute representation of the way he touched so many people. >> now when i was growing up in catholic church, three miracles were required for sainthood and john p

it was the bee atfication of pope june paul ii. even after death the pope's followers are as devoted as ever. >> reporter: worshipers from around the world came to st. peter's square came to celebrate the bee atfication of pope john paul. he once met the pope in person. >> he was a leader to a lot have of people. >> help roared that he was among the blessed of the church, taking him one step closer to saint hood. benedict credited john paul with a miracle needed for be atfication. a nun said her late pray areas cured her of parkinsons disease. proving one more is needed for saint hood. seeing john paul honored was an emotional moment. >> there was a probably wasn't a single time in his presence i didn't get moved to here's. >> reporter: the turn out of 1.5 million exceeded all expectations and people were still filing in to view the coffin of john paul and med take it. they believe some believe he should be blamed for some sexual abuses in the catholic church. >> he should be kept accountable. gata, cbs news, at the vatican. >>> th

pope benedict talks to the crew from the space shuttle endeavor. how he describes the conversation. >>> the kind words -- >> a very dicht view, sir. some crew members on the shuttle endeavour -- >>> these are live pictures from space. this is the international space station. crew members on the shuttle endeavor are getting ready for a space walk tonight. two astronauts will venture outside the international space station to do maintenance work. the six hour project begins just after 11:00 tonight. also nasa says a gash in endeavor's belly is not a safety concern. >>> the pope made a long distance phone call into space. for 20 minutes he chatted with the crew of the space shuttle endeavor. pope benedict xvi said they must have a different perspective. >> my courage as well as discipline and commitment that prepared yourselves for this mission. >> pope told commander mark kelly he hopes kelly's wife, congresswoman gabrielle giffords continues to get better. kelly thanked the pope for his kind words. >>> the super computer that put two jeopardy champs

vatican officials say it was the miracle needed for the pope to be beatified. >>> we've been looking forward to sunshine like this, finally getting it now and it is going to be heating up. we will talk about that coming up next. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> having a white clean air sticker on your hybrid won't be enough to allow you to drive alone in the hov lanes anymore. the state began the sticker program in 2004. but the privilege of driving solo in your hybrid, and the car pool lane, ends june 30. new green clean air stickers will be given to the first 40,000 applicants who buy or lease cars that meet the state's new zero partial admission standards. >>> lawrence karnow is joining us now. let's see if he can top today's spectacular weather. >> i think we will do our best. a lot of sunshine around the bay area all the way to the coastline and looking forward to a weekend like this for quite some time. it is looking great out there right now. let's head outside and check it out. we've got mostly clear skies over the city of san francisco. and looking good there. and as high pressure is