1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: More details out of Rome on the Pope's funeral. He'll 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: be late to rest Saturday evening our time. Everyone from trump' Zelenski, Macron, 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: Prince William of Going the New Zealand contingent, by the way, 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: taking part in the cong play belief for Italy today 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: into arfetican correspondent Christopher Whites with us Christopher morning. 6 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 2: Good morning, Good to be with you. 7 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: You traveled extensively with Pope Francis. Your thoughts on the man? 8 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: You know, he's the real deal. He's someone who really 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: enjoys being first and foremost with people. I think that's 10 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: why he captured the imagination of much of the world, 11 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 2: because of his ability to really offer a credible witness 12 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 2: to the message that he taught. And so, you know, 13 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: Catholic or non Catholic alike, I think most people that 14 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 2: encountered the Pope saw someone who was interested in them 15 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 2: and walking alongside them and tackling the issues of the 16 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 2: day as a real pastor. 17 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: Do you have a since forty eight hours ish on 18 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: what sort of influx Rome is expecting. 19 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 2: You know, I have to say it's a struggle just 20 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: to get an around the Vatican these days. This is 21 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 2: already high season, it's Easter, and add on top of that, 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 2: it's a jubilee year, a year that's expected to bring 23 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: over thirty million pilgrims to Rome. So Rome was already congested. 24 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 2: And as you just ticked off at the at the beginning, 25 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 2: world leaders as well as just average Catholics alike are 26 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: pouring into Rome. We don't have any real estimates, but 27 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: we're expecting that number to certainly be in the millions 28 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 2: by the time the funeral takes place on Saturday. 29 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: How does that security operation work? Is that the Vatican 30 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:35,279 Speaker 1: or is that Italy? 31 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 2: It's a combination of the both, you know, obviously two 32 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 2: separate countries, but they have to work in close collaboration together. 33 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: And will it be tight? Can you breathe and move? 34 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 2: Oh? I think it will be a very tight security perimeter. 35 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: I mean it will have you know, it's very rare 36 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: that you have folks like you know, from Trump to 37 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 2: Zelenski to Macron all in the same place. Will have 38 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 2: the feel of a United Nations assembly, and you can 39 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 2: expect security to match that. 40 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: I keep reading there are now favorites to replace him? 41 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: Is that your assessment? And literally anything could happen will not. 42 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: Look. I think we have to brace ourselves for anything. 43 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 2: I mean, Pope Francis has diversified the college of cardinals, 44 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: the men who will elect among themselves a successor. The 45 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: Catholic churches at a crossroads in this moment. They have 46 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: to decide, you know, if they want to continue on 47 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: the path of reform initiated by Pope Francis, of a 48 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: church that's more welcoming and inclusive and reforming its structural 49 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 2: structures accordingly, or if they want a course correction. And 50 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: I think, you know, Pote Francis named eighty percent of 51 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: the cardinals who will elect his successor, so there's a 52 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 2: strong chance that the next Pope will share his priorities. 53 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 2: But in terms of particular candidates, it's very hard to know. 54 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 1: Christopher, appreciate your insight very much. Christopher White, who's the 55 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: innt betican correspondent with us. For more from the Mic 56 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: Hosking Breakfast, Listen live to news Talks at B from 57 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.