Full transcript
0:01The Polish Cardinal Andre Dascore passed
0:04away Saturday, September 3rd at the age
0:06of 87. He served as the president of the
0:09Pontipical Council for Social
0:10Communications and was a close friend of
0:12John Paul II. The then Bishop Descore
0:15was also very influential in the
0:17eventual election of John Paul to the
0:19papacy. In the week before the conclave,
0:22Descore presented the young Carol
0:23Voitila to many of the cardinals that
0:26would vote in the papal election. Then
0:28the day before the conclave, Descore
0:30suffered a stroke and left the entire
0:32left side of his body paralyzed. The day
0:35after John Paul II's election, he made a
0:37special visit to the hospital to see his
0:39friend, telling the hospital staff the
0:42bishop had taught him how to be a pope.
0:44After his recovery, Descore was
0:46confirmed as an archbishop by John Paul
0:48II in 1980. During his time at the
0:51Vatican, he worked with the media,
0:53traveling to some 70 countries. He also
0:55helped launch radio vettedas, a Catholic
0:58radio station broadcast throughout Asia
1:00and other parts of the world. Benedict
1:03the 16th sent a telegram to the current
1:05cardinal of Kkow Poland making note of
1:07the valuable contributions made by
1:09Desour during his 61 years in the
1:12priesthood. The college of cardinals now
1:14has 193 members including 114 who are
1:19called upon to elect a new pope.