they called him ill papa bueno, the good pope or good pope john.h part of the living memory of this place. >> yeah. he was the first one to really understand, i think, how to communicate in that way with the people. and certainly, that was part of his appeal. and probably, had he been around in the time that we had all this modern communication, he would have had the same popularity as john paul ii and pope francis. >> delia gallagher there and john allen breaking things down for us outside of vatican city as we watch this canonization event continue to unfold, although it is now official. the catholic church has two new saints, john paul ii and john xxiii. at this point, mass is under way. people will be watching this from around the world. there are an estimated more than 1.2 billion catholics globally. many people in argentina, the philippines, mexico, the united states, brazil. it's a faith followed by many in all corners of the globe. and on the right of your screen, you're watching viewers in poland, the birthplace, of course, of john paul ii

the pope in reading some of these accounts of these meetings with the pope where the pope would turn purple with rage, pound on his desk and he's yelling at for example a foreign ambassador where he has been unhappy with something his country has done. but the pope also has a high sense of the dignity of the papal office. interesting today with pope francis making news in taking symbolic actions that seem to be peeling away some of that symbolic activity. for example pius the xi from the day he beat cam pope his brother and sister whom he had been close to refer to him as napoleon nest. also for the 17 years he was pope he never allowed anyone to sit down at the table when he ate, not even a cardinal. and this by the way was different than some of his predecessors and a continuing tradition that all of his predecessors had obeyed. the pope's vision of the church and of the world was basically a medieval one in which there was only one true roman catholic church and all to his teachings and lines of authority. mussolini as i alluded to before was in many ways his opposite. the anti-cl

pope john xxiii before pope john paul ii and pope francis was the one who came after a pope pius the 12th who was regal and academic and aristocratic and john xxiii was short stout called the peasant pope and people say what's he going to do. >> rose: and then called the good pope. >> then called the good pope. and why? because he came out and could talk to the people and he came out and he was the one who went to the hospitals and visit sick children. he was the one who went first to prisons and visited prisoners. so the thing that we see pope francis doing today he started. >> rose: there's a touch of pope john xxiii and pope francis. >> he loves him. it was said after cardinal was to be a runner up one of the card numbers said he said to him afterwards i would have chosen the name john had i become pope. besides it's interesting to see what happened in the meantime to change his mind but it's clear he has great admiration for pope john xxiii precisely because of that personal touch but because john xxiii who was not expected to do vention was the revolutionary movement. >> rose: t

what kind of opinions are you hearing people share about the current pope, pope francis, and pope emeritus benedict? >> reporter: i'm not sure i made out the last part of your question, but it's universally positive here. they see him as a man who played a critical role in the history of the church, but also in the history of the world in the sense many people do credit him with having played a part in the downfall of communism. and certainly, for many of the polish faithful here, they look upon him as a symbol of a man who fought against communism, who fought for their country, in addition to fighting for the church. and so, certainly, when people speak about john paul, as i said before, they remember him distinctly. he was a man who basically traveled everywhere. i saw him in egypt, i saw him in jordan. he was somebody who eventually came to wherever you were and whatever corner of the world you were, and people remember him for that. >> and ben, you know, we're hearing so many stories about people coming from all over the world just to be there to witness this unprecedented, historic ev

and the decision to link the popes tells us about pope francis' vision for the church. to bridge the divide and heal some of the divisions within the churn. >> do you think pope francis was trying to send a greater message with these two popes at this time? i think these two popes, lester, represent the two bookends of the second vatican council. john xxiii who had the inspiration to is summon the council, the courage to see it through a difficult first period in 1962. john paul ii who gave the council an authoritative interpretation, himself having been a significant influence at the second vatican council. what pope francis is saying, it seems to me, is that these are two men of vatican two. they are in this effort to bring the catholic church into its third my millennium with the fer behind it. >> two popular popes, and the history of canonization of popes early in the church, it was more by popular acclaim than by the procedure we see now. kathleen, how did that involve into what we see now? >> both men in the immediate aftermath of their deaths, the faithful called

john paul ii and pope benedict and pope francis.ory represented as well as an awful lot of ethnicity as we see those flags waving all over the square today. >> and i want to talk about -- >> the catholic family was gathered from all corners. >> yeah. i want to talk about pope francis a bit. often referred to as the people's pope. how does this day -- what does this is a about what his legacy will be and his papacy? >> i'm of the view lester that it's a bit too early to say that. i mean pope francis has seized the imagination of the world. that's a great thing for the catholic church. he has undertaken some fundamental reforms of the way the church is governed here in rome by creating a new office to take over the church's financial affairs. that process of reform continues and i think his papacy will be measured in history in part by the success of that reform process here in rome. but he's going to the holy land next month. he'll commemorate the 50th anniversary of the meeting of pope paul vi with the ecumenical saint of constantin

the pope in reading some of these accounts of these meetings with the pope where the pope would turn purple with rage, pound on his desk and he's yelling at for example a foreign ambassador where he has been unhappy with something his country has done. but the pope also has a high sense of the dignity of the papal office. interesting today with pope francis making news in taking symbolic actions that seem to be peeling away some of that symbolic activity. for example pius the xi from the day he beat cam pope his brother and sister whom he had been close to refer to him as napoleon nest. also for the 17 years he was pope he never allowed anyone to sit down at the table when he ate, not even a cardinal. and this by the way was different than some of his predecessors and a continuing tradition that all of his predecessors had obeyed. the pope's vision of the church and of the world was basically a medieval one in which there was only one true roman catholic church and all to his teachings and lines of authority. mussolini as i alluded to before was in many ways his opposite. the anti-cl

of two paps, pope john paul ii and pope john xxiii.they have been declared saints at a mass co-celebrated by prap sis and his predecessor pope benedict. the scene from st. peter's square. from me, goodbye. ... we pray the grace we have bestowed. >>> from popes to saints, john paul ii and john xxiii join an elite group as the vatican make history. >> day two of a visit to malaysia, the first american president to visit the country in half a century. >>> calling it quits - south korea's prime minister

two popes are being cannonized together and two living popes, pope frpran sis and pope benedi will be here. it is the first time that the events happened in 2,000 years and the excitement is positive. there is a sense from the church and the crowds that there are a positive momentum about the events and there are critics here, there is real criticism how quickly that the two popes are becoming saintses and the criticism from the u.s. at the fastest cannonization in the church's history. >> live in rome on the eef of a very big day tomorrow. thank you. >> we are taking a look at the cannonization and the differences on the two men on the path to saint hood. >> president obama is in malaysia tonight, the first visit by a u.s. president in five decades and meeting with the prime minister and discussing the search for the missing jet. we are joined live with more on the visit there, mike? >> well, there's a lot of ceremony attached to this. the president is vetted along and meeting the royalty of malaysia and there is a lot of sub tans on the agenda as well. this is a make up that the pre

>> narrator: in february last year, pope benedict stunned the world by being the first pope to resign in 600 years. >> no person has had more influence on the life of the church, how it works on the inside, than joseph ratzinger. and he gave it up. >> narrator: when the helicopter took him away, benedict was leaving behind a bitterly divided vatican. this is the inside story of the events that undermined his papacy. it's a story of corruption and cover-up. >> if i don't get a response from you, i'll go public. >> narrator: of sexual scandal and abuse. >> if you tell anybody, your parents will burn in hell. >> narrator: of secrets and hypocrisy. >> so there we were, where they had had sex all night long, and he took out all his paraphernalia and started to celebrate mass. >> narrator: and a story of leaked documents exposing a bitter internal power struggle. >> i published documents dealing with corruption, scandals, frauds, nepotism. >> narrator: now a new pope, francis, must battle the forces that overwhelmed his predecessor. >> if he wants to change the church, it's going to mean de

pope francis does not.owever, these are the type of men who are not going to let disagreement on two issues even those two very important issues prevent them from collaborating on many other things including addressing economic inequality in the united states and around the world. >> i've been incredibly moved by his compassion, his message of inclusion. i was grateful to have the opportunity to speak with him about the responsibilities we all share to care for the least of these, the poor. >> pope francis is a very clever man. he's pretty good at dealing with politicians. there are very, very big differences between the obama administration secularism and where the pope is. >> while their meeting was taking place at the vatican, u.s. groups were fighting the administration in court over the contraceptive mandate in the affordable care act which they said violated their faith. >> we actually didn't talk a whole lot about social schisms in my conversations with his holiness. in fact, that really was not a to

pope francis declared pope john paul ii and pope john xxiii saints at a special mass, which is under way. there, in the midst of everything going on is our correspondent for al jazeera. jonah. >> reporter: they are now officially saints, john paul ii and st. john xxiii, pope francis proclaiming the two late popes as saints using these words "we declare and define blessed john xxiii and john paul ii be saints, we enrol them among the saints decreeing they be veperrated as such by the search. that was the moment that the faithful came to see, watching in their billions, the double celebration in the presence of two living popes - an extraordinary occurrence in itself, pope francis and pope emmer it us xvi. i'm joined by andrea with the catholic and news service. andrea, there's much talk about miracles, medical miracles, said to be performed through the intersession of the two popes after their boths. now a miracle is well to the faithful, but it is an event that is unexplained by science. help me understand what makes a miracle a miracle in the catholic church, who says it's a miracle

that's why he's taking these two popes together, pope john paul ii and pope john xxiii. >> this just reminds what you see -- a million people gathering in st. peter's and joyous in poland celebrating. it brings a lot of peel together. >> this is a punctuation mark. pope francis was ordained after vatican ii, so you see there an era that just ended and one beginning again. >> it seems like the popes, at least with francis, more relatable, do you find that to be the case? that younger people may again become more involved? >> well, any pope who can do selfies can relate to young people today, but he speaks in a way they understand because he speaks to their heart. he's not speaking in theologianese, he's speaking to people the way he reached out to the woman married to a divorced man. he's getting people where they are and not trying to say, if you jump over this bar, then you can or i can meet your needs. but he's saying, wherever you are, i will meet your needs and administer to you where you are. i think people understand that. they get back -- >> unconditional kindness it seems to

you are the pope's rabbi?let us say so. >> pelley: they met while debating one of the greatest of all human conflicts: argentinean soccer. skorka's team often chokes in the clutch, so the fans have a nickname. >> skorka: we receive the name of chickens. >> pelley: the chickens. >> skorka: the chickens. why? not a lion, not a tiger, but a chicken. >> pelley: francis is a card carrying member of a rival team. this is his actual membership card. his holiness couldn't resist temptation though when he said this to skorka. >> skorka: "i guess that this year we are going to eat chicken soup." oh, i received that as an aggression, as a real aggression, but i understood that behind the joke was a message: "look, we can joke together. we can speak on the same level." >> las manos de dios. >> pelley: they did speak on the level in a tv series and a book they wrote together. after all, "pontiff" is latin for "bridge builder." you learned that there could be conversation, common ground among the faiths? >> skorka: yes. >>

progressive pope. francis says that's too simple. >> that's not what we to express anymore. we want to express a unity. in his sermon today, he said that actually, it wasn't that john paul was the conservative and john was the liberal. it was that john started reforms that john paul continued much that's what francis is really trying to say. perhaps, morgan, he takes a lot of cues from john xxiii. he had said to have brought the church into the 20th century. perhaps francis today trying to bring the church into the 21st century >> thanks so much, nick for joining us. >>> catholics are celebrating today's event. john ter bennett is at the cathedral of sacred hard in newark, new jersey, visited by john paul back in 1995. john, let's jump right into it. pope john paul ii had a long history when he was head of the catholic church. can you give us a little bit more background on that? >> reporter: well, i would say, morgan, that american catholics have an ongoing love affair with john paul ii because he cam

, well, two former popes.ow we have two new saints in the world. >> while there are two popes living there present at vatican city. we're following this big story all throughout the hour but first, we're going to start "new day" with this controversy in the nba that's caught the attention of not only athletes and fans and people here across the country but president obama. he's in the middle of his week-long trip to asia. today he spoke out on the firestorm surrounding donald sterling, the owner of one of the league's south teams, the l.a. clippers. sterling is dominating headlines this morning, he's accused of making racist remarks. >> this conversation between sterling and his girlfriend all recorded and apparently sparked by a photo of that girlfriend with magic johnson, that she posted on instagram. >> i saw one i admire. i admire magic johnson. >> okay, good. >> i'm sorry. he's made a lot of changes for his community, for the world, for the people, for the minorities. he's helped a lot of people. >> why y

peter's square, pope francis and pope benedict, pope until he resigned. this was an historic day. another first, according to the interior ministry. there was some million catholics here around the square watching the event throughout the city. there was one big screen tv, a large crowd ever to undergo a pilgrimage to get to that spot and see this ept. a real sense from those faithful, a positive momentum, saying thanks of celebrating two of the 20th centuries popes and a sense from church officials of positive momentum, more and more people getting involved in the church, thanks to the ser mopies and the pop u latteries of the popes. >> you mentioned popular momentum and positive sentiments. the decision to canonize the two popes raised eyebrows, what was that debate all about? >> basically this is pope francis and his predecessor pope benedict cutting the red tape. this is the fastest connonisation in the church's modern history. only nine years, like the blink of an eye in the church's history, rushed through because of john paul ii's popularity. when he died, and when he died

so that pope john -- rather pope xxiii could become a saint today. you have it. >> they supposedly share that folksy style. so popular now. >> see how it goes. >>> coming up, battle on the track. turns into fists flying after the flag. the after-race rumble caught on camera. it's raising questions about the behavior of drivers. >>> ahead in the next half hour, another fight caught on tape. this one more inappropriate. a dad loses his cool with his son and sparks a surprising response from other kids. >> whoa. >> you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations. but at this moment, she's fighting a brain tumor. announcer: please take a moment and join st. jude in finding cures and saving children. visit stjude.org. ♪ [ ballroom blits plays ] >>> all right. pretty well-known, sometimes things explode during nascar races. this time tempers overheated. >> two drivers got into a knock-down, drag-out fight after the race. michelle franzen has the story. >> the heat of the moment captured on video.

he was a pope of firsts n jerusalem, he prayed at the western wall and was first pope to visit a modern synagogue. at 81, he was the first pope to walk into a mosque. but many, including the people in each of these childhood photographs, see things differently. >> this is david. he was sexually abused by father john whitely. in this joel. this is barbara doris. this is becky amia. she was sexually abused about this time by the priest in her church in virginia >> the church admits in the u.s. alone, more than 10,000 people say catholic officials abused th them. >> this is tim blenon, and receipt a mila, and this was me. this was the year before father morris started sexually abusing me >> barbara blaine runs and abuse survivors network. she was only 12 when she says her priest first touched her. >> in my mind, i was screaming, no, stop, don't do that. don't touch me. no. but no words came out. i was like frozen, and in a sense, it was like i couldn't -- i was -- i couldn't even move. and i can remember him saying. stop shaking. i am not going to hurt you. >> she accuses john paul of know

with a sing statement, pope francis can onized two popes who have remarkably different papacies. john xxiii and john paul ii's legacy are fresh. he specially strong for 48-year-old andreas vidmar. >> a lot of people come here for hope. they aresponding to a paul of john paul ii who said, do not be afraid, and turn to god and have faith. >> andreas knows that call well. he first arrived in rome as a 20-year-old swiss guard. since the 15th century, the guards have been responsible for the pope's security when andreas first met john paul, he was diagnostic. >> i came here primarily because i thought being a body guard was about the coolest thing you could do. >> changed, of course, once i started to meet john paul. i would see him pray, and i started to feel differently. like somebody brings such a peace about them. it made me want to pray, too. >> john paul taught andreas faith didn't have to be complicated. it could helpful phil him. >> what he talked about is how i was made for excellence and that my faith could actually help me fly like an eagle, you know, to soar to the heights

pope francis canonized, pope john xxiii and pope john paul ii.ith more on the ceremony, good afternoon, amy. >> reporter: hi tucker and clayton. probably the visual highlight of the ceremony was the embrace that pope francis gave to pope ameridas, pope benedict xvi. it is very rare to see him in public, and it was as many people commented, a strong show of unity. it was a very tender moment. and also there's been a lot of talk about unity in this ceremony, generally, even before it took place that two very different popes, one liberal and one conservative, were canonized at the same time, but you could argue that john xxiii opened up the church with the vatican to counsel and john paul ii brought it to the people. now the formula, the words that were read out today, were standard. pope francis said we declare and define blessed john xxiii and john paul ii be safe and we enroll them among the saints decreeing they are to be such by the whole church. now it's hard to give you a sense of -- [ speaking foreign language ] >> that's a historic event yo

witness pope john xxiii and pope john paul ii become saints. we'll have more on that in a moment. first we want to start with the controversy getting attention outside the nba, the root of it, but the athletes, fans and politicians including president obama. today during his visit to malaysia he spoke out about the firestorm in the u.s. this man, donald sterling, the long-time owner of the l.a. clippers, he's at the center of this. the team is a contender for the nba championship. sterling is not the focus because of that, but instead because of some remarks he's accused of making, some racial remarks. >> very slander ous racial remarks. sterling's alleged comments, they're part of a conversation with his girlfriend made public by tmz and allegedly sparked after his girlfriend posted a picture with magic johnson. please let me forewarn you, i know it's sunday morning. you have kids in the room. some of this language here is indeed offensive. here we go. >> i saw someone admire -- i admire magic johnson. >> okay. good. >> he's made a lot of changes for his community, for the world,

>> it means to me the pope is the man, and the pope can do whatever the pope wants to do.hat's what it says to me. >> the pope is supposed to be infallible. that's a bit of a myth. they're not really infallible. catholics, big weekend for them. >> absolutely. john, appreciate it. good stuff. despite the controversy, some say they know pope john paul ii is a saint. nick schifrin talks to a barber who said that the pope performed a miracle on him. >> reporter: johnny has always known what he wanted to be. he has been cutting air, shampooing, shaving for 60 years, he's only 66. >> this is my best--this is my work, my job, my life. >> he fills his barbershop with a lifetime of memories and momentos. some are ancient. >> does it work? >> some a mere half century old. and there's one memory he cherishes most. >> this was used on john pal the ii. >> johnny cut his hair and shaved him, and then year later he was john paul ii. >> is pope john paul iia saint? >> yes, yes, he was one even before becoming a pope. >> reporter: but to become a roman catholic saint they must perform mira

two living popes canonized, two former popes as new saints, while nearly a million people crowded intond around st. peters square just to be a part of it. here is cnn's delia gallagher. >> reporter: it was a canonized of two popes at the beginning of this morning's ceremony. two of the most important at attendees at this ceremony, those that the vatican says received the miracle from john paul ii, a french nun who is suffering from parkinson's. she brought up the relic of john paul ii, which was the vial of blood and she was accompany bied by john xxiii who brought his relic to the altar. john xxiii was an example of the holy spirit and john paul ii was an example of families, a pope who loved the youth and we remember those world youth days and now the crowds camped out overnight to witness this morning's historic event. they were from all over the world waving their flags. by far the largest contingency from poland here to cheer on their native saint. their weight was well rewarded when pope francis at the end of the ceremony got into his popemobile, left st. peters square that leads

pope john xxiii and pope john paul ii with twolying popes present. pope francis presiding and retired pope benedict observing. ♪ the atmosphere is festive at the vatican set the stage for the big event but security is tight. streets have been shut down to traffic and thousands of extra police are on hand. keeping crowds under control and checking for bombs. the canonization ceremonies are now only hours away. people are packing into st. peter's square and they are praying and singing and celebrating and they're trying to get as close as they can to the gates before they open sunday morning. a group from france found a prime spot inches from the gates where they hoped to spend the night. you got a very good spot here. >> yeah. we -- we tried to have the best one in there during the night. >> reporter: but it wasn't to be. others were defiant including a group of nuns that wouldn't budge. one made the journey in chicago. >> once in a lifetime opportunity. >> you thought you were going to be extremely close and now -- >> now who knows. >> reporter: he'l

we would like to see the pope post on his web site the names of child-molesting clerics and see the pope praise and promote the very few brave whistle blowers in the church who do speak out about crimes by their colleagues and supervisors. we'd like to see them rewarded instead of shunned. there are many, many steps he could take literally with the troveg a pen that would make a dramatic difference but it requires real courage and he's yet to show any real courage on this ongoing crisis. >> thank you for joining me and speak out on this issue. >> thanks so much. >>> approximate fiving weeks after malaysia airlines flight mh370 went missing, investigators have significantly reduced the area they are searching. this as the australian authorities say they are confident that the signals heard in the indian ocean are indeed coming from the black bock flight recorders of that missing plane. >> the australians are becoming increasingly optimistic that the search for flight mh370 deep in the indian ocean may soon be over. signals picked up in recent days by an australian navy shirning the ocean

pope john paul ii and pope john xxiii, the newest saints?i think it's amazing because i never thought i would live in a time where i would actually be able to relate to pope john paul ii and actually see him can onized as a saint. so i think it's great that view is espoused by the majority of american catholics. many expressed love for john paul ii remembering his multiple visits to america in his 27 years as pope. so some say the elevation of john paul ii is too soon and they point to his role in the church section abuse scandal saying he did little to help the victims and protected ped file priests. >> those against john paul's elevation say they feel ignored and disrespected by rome. many, however, seem excited if not overjoyed by his saint pood. this woman's mom told her to get in the church? >> you have to go. you have to go because i haven't been in church in at least at that couple of weeks. she is like please make it in for me this morning. my mom in haiti, she was watching it as well. >> i prayed to the lord. i pray to the virgin ma

we're used to seeing images of the pope in the so-called pope mobile, the big gatherings. but when he goes down and sees a man whose anyways is covered in tumors and embraces him, that is acting in the field hospital and also for catholics all of ha res nation. st. frances himself, scared of lepers embraces a leper. that is the message of christ. not just saying the right things he's doing its religion you can use that is what is so appealing. >> i asked him about gay marriage and civil unions, the core the church is not going to change. there is reform needed in the vatican. many reforms. not yet clear what they will be. >> he referred to the pope as sort of -- talked about his simplicity. the word that describe is humility. of course that is reversal of power. that is the powerful ministering what's interesting the pope has done, took place in lenten mass a few weeks ago where about to take confession from a number of people. instead of doing that he stops, goes -- breaks away from what was clearly the plan goes to a normal priest at normal confession and takes in front

the pope in reading some of these accounts of these meetings with the pope where the pope would turn purple with rage, pound on his desk and he's yelling at for example a foreign ambassador where he has been unhappy with something his country has done. but the pope also has a high sense of the dignity of the papal office. interesting today with pope francis making news in taking symbolic actions that seem to be peeling away some of that symbolic activity. for example pius the xi from the day he beat cam pope

lisa take a pope who is a great admin stroet straighter, a role model not only for another pope but for business people, for politicians, for others as well. >> yet, also, father, there is the concern that maybe they are being a little too lax with the rules here as we mentioned earlier, pope francis relaxed some of the rules that made these two -- these two popes saints. what do you make of that? do you think that they are, perhaps, allowing too many popes at this moment? i mean too many saints, obviously? >> yeah. i think that, you know, when they brought in to the pope the file on john paul ii and they said, okay. we've got two miracle did. we are ready to can on eyes them, when do you want to do it? his response was what about john xxiii. he as one miracle. his response was, so what? what's the point in being pope if you can't break some rules? so you know, he waived that requirement. he realized that there are some progressive catholics who love and admire john xxiiii but have questions about john paul ii and some conservatives who feel exactly the opposite. he wants us to all come

he visited prisons as pope. he was very much like francis or francis is very much like pope john in that outreach to people. >> elected at the age of 73 the elderly pope john was supposed to be a care taker pontiff. not expected to do much but warm the thrown. but just a few months into his papacy he called for the second vatican council. it was a meeting of the world's bishops that brought the church into the modern era and shook things up. >> it took the cardinals by surprise to say the very least. they sat there open mouthed when they heard pope john, newly crowned pope state this in january of 1959 and there was an immediate reaction. like what the heck is this all about. >> pope john xxiii died one year after the counsel began it's work. nearly five years into his papacy. taking part in the historic vatican was someone who would carey on the legacy when he became pope john paul ii. in new york, lauren green, fox news. >> and we will have live continuing coverage of the historic vatican ceremony starting at

both of them popes.appen they need proof of a miracle, one of pope john paul's supporters says he knew the pope was a saint all along. nick schifrin reports. >> reporter: johnny has always known what he wanted to be. he has been cutting hair. shampooing. shaving for 60 years, and he is only 66. >> this is my destiny. this is my -- my work, my job, my -- my life. >> reporter: he fills his barbara shop with a lifetime of memories and mementos. >> over 100 years old. >> yes. >> reporter: some are ancient. does it work? oh. some a mere half century old. and there's one memory he cherishes most. >> these, yes. >> reporter: they are the ones used on john paul ii. >> yes. >> back then johnny cut his hair and shaved him. and about a month later he became john paul ii. is he a saint? >> translator: yes, even before coming pope. johnny say asmir call was performed on him. when he was 62 he herniated a disk, his life's work was suddenly at risk. in the hospital johnny says he saw a photo of john paul like this one.

. ♪ history is made as pope frances elevates pope john paul ii and john xxiii to sainthood.undreds of thousands filled st. peters square. we are live at the vatican. >>> personal foul. the owner of the los angeles clippers facing a storm of controversy. this morning even president obama weighing in as the nba promises a swift investigation. >>> tornado watch. a strong risk of severe weather today as what's been a quiet storm season so far kicks into high gear threatening the country's midsection with a major outbreak of damaging twisters. >>> off the market? rumors swirling. the perpetual bachelor george clooney is engaged. we'll tell you about his new leading lady today, sunday, april 27th, 2014. >>> from nbc news this is ow today" with lester holt and erica hill live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm lester holt. you guys buying that clooney is engaged? >> if they're selling it, i guess we have to buy it. it doesn't mean we're happy about it, but we're buying it. >> i guess when you know you know. they

just a few hours ago pope francis presiding over a ceremony elevating pope john paul ii and pope paul xxiii to sainthood. we bring you up-to-date on the special chapter in the church's history. amy. >> reporter: yes, uma, four popes because two popes were n canonized in one ceremony. and pope francis and pope emeritus benedict xvi which is historic in itself. that's why, uma, so many people, crowds, camped out on a drizzly wet night, a chilly night in rome just to get a good position to watch all of this history being made. and the crowd was truly global. there were people from all continents on st. peter's square. different faiths even represented. probably one of the most poignant moments was pope francis embracing his predecessor, pope emeritus benedict xvi. it just said unity, continuity and that's really what the ceremony was about canonizing the pope who set out to modernize the church and also the one who then took that church to the street. now, here is a time lapse look at the pilgrims bursting forth after dawn to try to secure their spots inside the square with a little huma

popes you could not swing a dead pope without hitting one. now know surprise these guys were saint. john xxiii's modernized the church, second vatican council and john paul ii fought against communism but more importantly was an honorary harlem globetrotter. (applause) >> and i believe-- i believe-- i believe that they're undefeated record is the real miracle. (laughter) >> and folks, when you are be there, it is hard to explain, but it felt as if these departed popes were in st. peter's square with you because parts of them were. >> pope francis relic from each of the pontiffs. >> the re8ic of john xxiii is a piece of his skin. and the relic of john paul ii is his blood in a vial. >> stephen: skin and blood, why would the vatican want-- they're building a franken-pope! (applause) (laughter) folks t was a monumental day that brought all catholics together. luckily the news media was there to help drive use part. >> we have two men who are often seen as sort of para gorntion one john xxiii as sort of the liberal wing of the catholic chfern and

pope john paul ii, did that pass? >> right after he died there was this incredible outpouring of support for him. the crowds in st. peter's square chanting "santo subato," which means make him a saint immediately. when pope benedict was elected he decided to waive the five-year waiting period that usually is required after a death before you even start looking at whether or not someone should be on track to become a saint. >> so one pope got an exception for the two miracles down to one, one pope got be a interception for the waiting time. we're hearing world leaders, presidents, but this is somewhat different than standard, it's not a huge three-day affair like it becomes? >> that's right. this is the no frills papacy. he's making ate no frills day onization. so it's just going to be the basic ceremony itself in st. peter's square. it's still enormously festive and something that people around the world could be watching but it won't be the three-day extravaganza. >> rachel, associated press, thanks so much for joini

pope francis chose to canonize the two popes together, another symbolic act of his approach. each man champen oned by different factions of the church. john paul is plauded for his strict interpretation of doctrine. progressives embrace the style of john with at times seemed more pastor than pontiff. but this is not a day for labels. and for those who a year ago feared pope benedict's resignation would throw the church in to turmoil, the sight of two living popes, a sign of unity in this chant faith. for those that couldn't get in to the square and waited their patience paid off. after mass, pope francis got in his pope mobile and ride to the tiger river, an exclamation point on an historic day for the catholic church. anne thompson in rome, back to you. >> today's ceremony wasn't without controversy. many criticized the vatican for canonizing pope john paul. and took too long to respond to the scandal. >>> back in the south bay, hundreds of people paid tribute to pope john paul ii. ♪ part of the tribute, a seven- foot tall bronze statue of the new saint. there it is unveiled

agostino chigi was banker to pope julius and his successor, pope leo.onsequently one of europe's richest men, he persuaded raphael to decorate his new villa on the banks of the tiber. raphael created the illusion of two canopies to protect chigi's guests from the heat of the day. the gods dined above while the guests dined below, tossing their golden plates over the riverbank. chigi, by the way, kept servants below so the plates could be recovered. mercury, the god of money, presided over this splendid party and thus gave the pleasures of the flesh more elevated status. but the party-- metaphorical and actual-- did not last for long. vasari wrote... "raphael kept up his secret love affairs "and pursued his pleasures with no sense of moderation. "and then, on one occasion, he went to excess. "he returned home afterwards with a violent fever "which the doctors diagnosed as heat stroke. "raphael kept quiet about his incontinence, "and, very imprudently, "instead of giving him the restoratives he needed, "they bled him until he grew faint "and felt himself

popes in ou tell us housing advocate they are for the church today. >> well, i think it was pope francis himself who insisted that these two former popes be declared saints at the same time. why did he do that? i think it is because, as you said in the report, they represent opposing approaches to the cap a church. -0-- to the catholic church. the modernizer and the traditionalist. john the 23rd instigated the second vatican council which was intended to show the catholic church could respond to the challenges of the changing world, in the 1960's. john paul ii, for all that he was a very popular pope, his charisma reached well beyond the church. he was increasingly seen as a traditionalist and an opponent of change. simultaneous canonization, pope francis is saying that there is room for both these views within the catholic church. the important thing is that the church be united. >> an important day for the church. simon young, thanks for joining us from st. peter's square. hasstinian president aba described the holocaust as the most heinous crime humanity has known in modern history. h

reporter: two living popes honoring two past popes. a day for the history books at vatican city as pope francis dechaired them saints, history because for the first time a reigning pope, francis, and retired pope, benedict, celebrated mass together. an estimated 800,000 people gathered in st. peter's square to watch the ceremony. they were joined by the king and queen of spain and presidents and ministers from over 90 countries. it is a day with special meaning. >> pope john paul, always been my hero. i'm overwhelmed. there's no words. >> i'm here. i'm actually here. something that millions of people will only get to see on tv, luke my mom will be one of those people, and to say i was here, i can't explain it. it will be beautiful to share back home. >> by elevating the two popes at the same time francis is walking a careful line in a divided church. john xxiii, the pope of 50 years ago, liberal who threw out the latin mass, john paul ii considered a theological conservative. >> francis is saying i'm tired of these intramural divisions

a vial of joh pope john paul iid of pope john xxiii. to talk more about it, i'm joined by the catholic news agency, andrea, thanks for joining us. give us a sense of pope francis' mission a year or so into his papacy. >> this is the first for pope francis. this is significant, that this is the first canonization of two predecessors. the two predecessors are very important. the first one gave righ rise toe second one. the seconds one gave completion to the second vatican counse co. so that they mirror. they went to the parishes and the people and at the same time brought the church to a higher level. >> this is not an event without a sinner element of controversy. there have been those who have sped up. >> for john xxiii, they did not want to wait for the second miracle. and for pope john paul ii they didn't want to wait the five years. so this was in order to avoid any controversy. >> and also debate, isn't there, or perhaps muted in the church about john paul ii's role during his papacy as emerged sexual scandal in the church and that

we knew that pope francis has a great affinity for pope john xxiii. there was reports that he wanted to be named john. there's a message of unity at the church, wanting to cole esque 26 years of history into a message of unity with the two folks toot. and for two models. >> you mentioned the second vatican council. john xxiii convened. francis had its own coup, convening bishops in rome. what are the plans. did we see a hipt in the message of what he'll deliver in the council. >> what is interesting is the council occurred 56 years ago. implications are unfolding in the church around the world. one is a masteral sense. lisp to them in need. he's called the senate at the vatican in a worldwide meeting of bishops to discuss issues of family. in a sense, this is almost whether pope francis is embracing his own sense of what needs to happen as a council, 56 years on. and they say that it takes about 200 years for a church council to have a full impact. we are 56 years in. it's interesting to see how the pope will manage this on his own. >> and pope franci

really, we are very proud of our pope and of both popes. >> the catholic world has two new saints.nd history has been made. joan a hull at the vatican >> still ahead, a knowledge branch, palestinian ma'c mood abbas offers words for jews on the holocaust day. a californiaan university brings together art and medicine in a unique exhibition. >> the debate that divides america, unites the critics, a reason to watch al jazeera america the standout television event borderland, is gritty honesty. >> a lot of people don't have a clue what goes on down here, the only way to find out, is to see it yourselves. >> taking viewers beyond the debate. >> don't miss al jazeera america's critically acclaimed series borderland on al jazeera america also available on demand >> results of analyses were skewed in favor of the prosecution >> the fbi can't force the states to look at those cases >> the truth will set you free yeah...don't kid yourself >> the system has failed me >> welcome back. let's recap the head lines. pro-russia activists have seized the state hetelevision headquarters. mediators ar