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Mark O'Connor: Catholic Journalist on Pope announcement · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: So Marke O'Connor is the Australian Catholic journalist with us
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: from the Vatican. We have a new Pope, Leo the fourteenth.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: He is American, sixty nine years old, born in Chicago,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: French Italian roots, thought to be a bridge between the
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: progressives and the conservatives. Mark joins us now from the Vatican.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: Mark, good morning, good morning, yes, or good evening here
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: almost good evening. Oh, it's a great it's a great evening,
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: an amazing atmosphere and an amazing choice. I couldn't be happier.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: You know. I had an hour with him on April
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: the fifteenth in Rtingham to Australia's and probably that's not
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: going to happen now. But you know, he's a man
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: who is rooted in being with ordinary people. He worked
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: in Peru as a Greece for fifteen years and then
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: as a bishop in you know, amongst four people. He's
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: actually also not only an American, he's also a Peruvian citizen.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: He speaks perfect Spanish, he's a linguist, and he was
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: also the Superior General of the Augustinian Fathers in Rome
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: for several years. He's an international person and of course
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: he speaks Perfecttorian as as you might have seen it
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: on the balconist a few minutes ago. So yeah, and
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  Speaker 2: the first words he said were peace, peace in this
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  Speaker 2: world of Gaza and conflict and the conflict that's this
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: in Ukraine. And he's going to be the piece. And
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: he's taken the name Leah the thirteenth, So Leah the
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: fourteenth deliberately because Leah the thirteenth was the great Pope
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: of social justice teaching in the church and of reaching
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: out to marginalized, the first great pope who really took
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: the side of the working class with his great in
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: cyclical rerem Navaram. So yeah, I'm excited. I think it's fantastic.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: Apart from the fact that, you know, I had a
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: lovely hour with him. He's a very charming, quiet he's not,
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: you know, the charismatic figure of Pope Francis. You're never
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: going to get another Pape Francis. He's quite unique. But
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: he's just lovely, warm, caring human being who tried, who
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: is going to try and build bridges, and he's very
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: much in the spirit of Pope Francis. They've certainly gone
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: for continuity of continuing the vision and the mission of princis.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: We were a little bit worried, some of us that
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: you know, there were there were voices saying, you know,
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: let's go back to the past, that the new Pope
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  Speaker 2: Lea of the fourteenth will take us with great joy
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: and hope into the future. And he's well loved and
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: well trusted also in the Roman Curia by many many people.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I think it's you know, I'm I have
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: to say, I'm ecstatic. I think, what does it mean
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: beyond my wildest dreams? Mark, what does it mean? What
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: does it mean?
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  Speaker 1: The fact it took it it was only four rounds
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: quicker than than Francis.
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: Well, it means it means that they that they came
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: pretty quickly into the decision that he was the right man.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: He was elected more quickly than than Cardinal Ratzinger was elected,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: you know, Pope Benedict. You know, it was very, very quick.
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: We were all surprised. I was in the Vatican Press
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: office when it happened, you know, and then there was
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: this enormous roar of the crowd. And then when his
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: name came through that you know that it was that
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: it was Robert prevost et cetera. I mean, like it's
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: just extraordinary. I know I'm standing a little bit at
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  Speaker 2: a little bit emotional at the moment, sorry, but like
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  Speaker 2: it's it is, you know, something that those of us
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  Speaker 2: who really love Pepe Francis were a bit worried that
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: somebody might appear who might, you know, sort of slow
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: things down a bit. But this guy, he's moderate, he's calm,
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: he's you know, he's a person of prayer. But he's
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: also a person who's quite determined, you know, to continue
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: the vision of the church reforming itself and reaching out
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: to the world and to the poor into the suffering.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: But you know, it was sonignant, but the very first
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: words that he said were peaces. He will you know,
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  Speaker 2: in this world at the moment, with your Gaza in
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  Speaker 2: your crome, we desperately need peacemakers and he you know,
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: you know, he's going to be an authentic, credible voice
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: that will give hope to many people. I think, Mark
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: really including a lot of non Catholics.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: I really appreciate your time, and there's nothing wrong with
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: being a little bit emotional. In fact, I think Pope
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: Leo was a little bit emotional standing on the balcony
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: of the Vatican earlier this morning. Thanks very much for
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: your time. That's Mark O'Connor, Australian Catholic journalists with us.
• 4:05
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• 4:09
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• 4:12
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