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Silence golden for pope's funeral
Some networks commented more than others
By MIKE MCDANIELCopyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Those who arose early and surfed the television channels discovered there are two ways to cover the funeral of a pope: a quiet way and a less quiet way.
Most of the TV news networks opted for solemnity, choosing to let Friday's service for Pope John Paul II speak for itself.
"This Mass is about to begin," said CBS anchor Harry Smith as the service started at 3 a.m. Houston time. "We're going to try to stay as much out of it as possible."
Likewise, NBC's Brian Williams and Katie Couric, Fox News' Shepard Smith, CNN's Anderson Cooper and MSNBC's Chris Matthews showed uncommon restraint in limiting interruptions of the three-hour televised portion of the proceedings. (Cameras were not allowed to intrude on the pope's interment.) This was also true for Univision's Maria Elena Salinas and Telemundo's Pedro Sevcec.
ABC, on the other hand, chose a busier presentation. Like the other channels, it presented live views from Vatican City and Krakow, Poland, the pope's hometown, as people from both places watched the service on stadium-size TV screens.
But ABC also beamed live reaction from Chicago and Philadelphia and even from Manila, site of a 1995 Mass that drew between 4 million and 5 million people. The network made use of a team of reporters — Bill Blakemore, Terry Moran, John Donvan, Kate Snow, David Wright — who relayed reactions from where they stood, amid the hundreds of thousands amassed in St. Peter's Square. And it dressed up its coverage by airing old footage and a number of still photos from the pontiff's life.
The end result: ABC seemed more prepared than the others.
Anchor Charles Gibson and correspondent Cokie Roberts, at his side, filled pauses with commentary and often spoke above the choir as it sang. But their comments were to the point and often informative.
Though Gibson's presentation was reverential, there were moments when he had some elocutionary fun.
"We have translators for Latin and Italian," he said soon after the service began. "Other languages you have to fend for yourselves."
Just before 5 a.m. Houston time, the cardinals moved away from the casket. The huge crowd broke into applause and shouts of "Santo! Santo!" ("Saint! Saint!") and "Magnus! Magnus!" ("Great One! Great One!"). Flags — many of them Polish — were waved.
Remarked Gibson: "This is, to use a nonliturgical phrase, pretty cool."
As the audience continued to clap and anoint the Holy Father with calls for sainthood and greatness, Gibson said, "This is not a moment scheduled, but I'm delighted to see they're letting it play."
By showing his humanity while maintaining his dignity, and by reflecting the tone of the day, Gibson showed why he might be the perfect person to one day become anchor of ABC News. (Worth a mention: He signed off funeral coverage by saluting his ailing colleague Peter Jennings.)
In contrast, CBS seemed to miss the authoritativeness of Dan Rather, no matter the competence of Harry Smith and on-site correspondent John Roberts. And though NBC's Williams is capable, his and Couric's scripted commentary during the processional brought back memories of Couric and Bob Costas at the opening ceremonies of an Olympics.
Several networks made symbolic note of a Bible that was set atop the pope's casket at the beginning of the service. A wind caused the pages to flutter and turn, causing Father Thomas Williams, dean of theology at Regina Apostolorum University in Rome, to comment on NBC that, like the fluttering Bible, "the pope was always on the move, always turning the next page." Likewise, when the wind caused the book to close, CBS' Smith remarked: "After the Communion, the Bible blew shut."
Over at Fox News (simulcast on cable and on KRIV/Channel 26), anchor Shepard Smith was awestruck by the events unfolding around him.
"This may be the most documented moment in history," he said, "and it's certainly expected to be the most watched television event since sets first came on."
He said the Vatican was expecting a worldwide television audience of 2 billion.
"I have never seen a production like this that's been so overshadowed by spirit, ever," Smith told the Chronicle afterward. "I think I'll leave here with a sense of unity that I have never known. It was a very powerful day."
He said the massive live audience, though "10 times over capacity," was "perfect in every way."
Smith said he made a conscious effort to be silent when it was appropriate, "but it was more of a feeling at the moment than 'I need to speak at this moment an hour from now.' "
Prompted by a producer, Smith prematurely told the world April 1 that the pontiff had died.
"Mistakes happen, and all you can do is apologize and move on," he said. "Nobody is sorrier than I am that a mistake was made. ... (But) we're past it. This was about trying to bring this funeral and this essence of this event to people at home without getting in the way of it, and I hope we were able to do that."
mike.mcdaniel@chron.com