'This Week' Transcript 5-11-25: Special Edition Live from the Vatican

A rush transcript of "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" airing on Sunday, May 11, 2025 on ABC News is below. This copy may not be in its final form, may be updated and may contain minor transcription errors. For previous show transcripts, visit the "This Week" transcript archive.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC "THIS WEEK" ANCHOR: Good morning from the Vatican, where thousands have come to celebrate the first Sunday blessing from Pope Leo XIV, a special edition of THIS WEEK right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RADDATZ: The first American pope. The man born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago becomes the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. What does his election mean for the church's future? And will he carry on the direction of Pope Francis?

POPE LEO XIV: You have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission.

RADDATZ: This morning, our team is live at the Vatican. Plus, the archbishop of Chicago, who was part of the historic conclave, joins us.

And the Reverend Peter Donohue, president of the pope's alma mater, Villanova University.

And this week, I was inside Russia for an extraordinary display of military muscle.

President Putin, any message for Donald Trump?

While thousands of Russian soldiers fight on in Ukraine, we pressed Putin’s top spokesperson about U.S./Russia relations.

Does President Putin consider Donald Trump a friend?

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN PRESS SECRETARY: He respects him a lot.

RADDATZ: Plus, reaction to Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: From ABC News, this is a special edition of THIS WEEK, reporting live from the Vatican, Martha Raddatz.

RADDATZ: Good morning,, and welcome to THIS WEEK. We are broadcasting from the world headquarters of the Order of St. Augustine, a building where the new pope spent an enormous amount of time over the years. And this morning, Pope Leo XIV has given his first Sunday blessing of the faithful here in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

The first American pope in the history of the catholic church speaking in Latin and Italian, delivering a message of peace. It was a remarkable scene. Thousands filling this space to hear the pope's words. The same space where just days ago the world was shocked when the name Robert Francis Prevost was announced in Latin as the surprise selection of the papal conclave. A little over an hour after white smoke poured from the chimney over the Sistine Chapel signaling that a new pope had been chosen.

Our chief international correspondent James Longman has been here all week, including when that white smoke poured out. He's been speaking to some of the cardinals, who were part of this historic vote, and to the many visitors here cheering the selection. And James joins me now from across the square.

Good morning, James.

JAMES LONGMAN, ABC NEWS CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Martha. Thousands just assembled here in St. Peter's Square to see Pope Leo give his first major public address and first Sunday blessing.

There is real excitement here about the first American pope and about what all of this might mean for the future of the church.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LONGMAN (voice over): The first American pope making history this morning. Leo XIV blessing the thousands assembled in St. Peter's Square. His words in Italian, no more war, greeted with huge applause, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a just peace in Ukraine. He finished with a Mother's Day blessing, to the delight of the crowd.

David, from Canada, is excited to see Leo today. And for him, an American pope offers a fresh perspective.

DAVID: I'm not really happy with world -- with North American politics right now, but I’m pretty happy about the new pope.

LONGMAN (voice over): Mavi (ph) from Venezuela thinks it's the right time for an American pontiff.

LONGMAN: How excited are you that --

MAVI: So excited.

LONGMAN: Yes.

MAVI: So excited. I think it's very (INAUDIBLE). The perfect combination of many worlds, because English is an international language, he speaks Spanish, he speaks Italian, and I really think it's what the world needs right now.

LONGMAN: So, so much excitement in the new pope. Interest, of course, that he's American, but it's really his internationalism that they're most excited about.

LONGMAN (voice over): And rushing to get a good spot, American visitors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me and him are from New Mexico and he's from Chicago.

LONGMAN: Chicago?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LONGMAN: Guess who else is from Chicago?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My guy.

LONGMAN: How does that -- how does that feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Outstanding, especially since he's from my side of town. He’s from the south side.

LONGMAN: The south side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think everything happens for a reason. And I think having an American pope is going to show some great unity. Because, a lot of people, they look at Americans and they’re like, wow, they already have a lot of power. And now they have the pope? Like, well, I think it actually clears up a lot of things. It shows that it’s not all power. It shows that we have love, right? And if the pope can be American, I mean, that brings us together.

JAMES LONGMAN, ABC NEWS CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just four days ago, shock rippled through the crowds as white smoke from the Sistine Chapel came much earlier than anyone expected. Shock gave way to disbelief as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, emerged as the new leader of the world's largest church. Perhaps no one more astounded at the selection of a Chicagoan-born cardinal, than his own brothers back in the U.S.

JOHN PREVOST, BROTHER OF POPE LEO XIV: I don't think it's really sunk in. It's kind of surreal.

LOUIS PREVOST, BROTHER OF POPE LEO XIV: I got up immediately, got dressed, dancing around like an idiot, just because it's, it's like incredible.

LONGMAN (voice over): And for the first time ever, a new pope with a few words in English at his first mass in the ancient Sistine Chapel.

POPE LEO: You have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission. And I know I can rely on each and every one of you to walk with me, as we continue as a church, as a community of friends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the gospel.

LONGMAN (voice over): As we learn more about the secret conclave that ended in his selection, we bumped into Cardinal Bowe, archbishop of Yangon.

LONGMAN: Are you excited to have the first American pope?

CARDINAL CHARLES BO, ARCHBISHOP OF YANGON: Yes, it’s a good day. A good day. So that he can -- he can --

LONGMAN: Build a bridge.

BO: Build a bridge and fight with Trump.

LONGMAN: Fight with Trump?

BO: Trump -- or can have conversation, dialogue with Trump.

LONGMAN: Can have a dialogue with Trump?

BO: Yes, yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LONGMAN (on camera): So, Martha, Pope Leo has another week to get used to this new office and then, on Sunday, he will have his installation ceremony and it will be his first chance to meet world leaders, who -- many of whom are expected to be there.

Martha.

RADDATZ: And, you know, James, American Catholics seem so thrilled about the choice, but you've been down there with the people all over the world, you talked to a couple of them, but what is your sense of how they feel?

LONGMAN: Look, Martha, an American is uniquely placed in many ways. He is from the wealthiest country on earth, but he’s lived among the poorest communities in the world. So, he understands one of the defining dynamics of our age, which is inequality.

I think there is real excitement for his internationalism. He speaks multiple languages. He understands multiple cultures. So, in this time of great division all around the world, he really is a symbol of unity.

Martha.

RADDATZ: All good to hear. James, thanks so much for all of your work this week.

You know, he may be the first American pope, but he has pushed far beyond American borders during his priesthood, including serving two decades in northwestern Peru. That's where ABC's Matt Rivers joins us with a report on how the faithful there are celebrating Pope Leo's selection.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHOIR (singing): Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

MATT RIVERS, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Saturday night mass at the cathedral in Chiclayo, Peru, isn't usually held outside. But then again, it's not every day the man who used to be archbishop here becomes the pope.

Thousands of the faithful attending a mass dedicated to Pope Leo XIV, Papa Leon (ph) to the Chiclayoans (ph) here. A man who spent more than two decades in Peru, even becoming a Peruvian citizen.

He left in 2023 as archbishop, but he first came as a young missionary back in the '80s, priding himself on getting close with the community. He was known for bringing his work into the streets, meeting and working with people directly.

Father Jorge Mian Cadrina (ph) is a close friend of the pope's. He says, people here remember, he showed up at confirmations, anniversaries. Everyone yesterday was posting photos they took with the pope. He's blessed their kids.

His ascension to the papacy widely celebrated here. Newspapers claiming him as Peruvian. One even claiming him ceviche (ph), a famous national dish.

Visceral reaction too from those who say they love him.

She says, when they announced his name, I screamed. I jumped up off my couch and I cried in my house.

His work with the poor, during good times and bad, strikes a chord here. Images of him walking through the empty streets, mask on, giving mass during the height of the pandemic have a lasting impact. The mild-mannered American from the Chicago suburbs has improbably captured the hearts of so many in this impoverished part of northwestern Peru.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (on camera): And, Martha, if there was any question how much this place means to the pope, remember, he took the time to specifically address the people of Chiclayo during his very first address from the balcony last Thursday. And -- so for the people here, the only question left, when will this new pope come back and visit? Martha?

RADDATZ: And our thanks to Matt there in Peru.

We're joined now by Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop Chicago, who was one of the 133 cardinals who voted in this historic conclave.

It is great to see you this morning, Cardinal.

You know, you really don’t feel the enormity of all of this until you walk among the people, which I know you’ve been doing. This is just historic.

CARDINAL BLASE CUPICH, ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO: It really is. And, first of all, Happy Mother’s Day to you, Martha, and to all the mothers.

RADDATZ: Thank you.

CUPICH: It is really moving to see people so excited. The young people gathering is very impressive.

And I was on the balcony looking out over the piazza to all the way down the Conciliazione, seeing the hundreds of thousands of people gathered. It’s really moving.

RADDATZ: And this morning, of course, the pope speaking to the people. And I was interested because he said, I carry in the hearts the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people. He also talked about how saddened he is about what’s happening in the Gaza Strip. What is does that tell us about this pope?

CUPICH: Well, he picked up on the words of Pope Francis that there’s a world war going on piecemeal. And it is something for him to be a voice, as he said, for peace at the very beginning of his announcement when he was presented to the people. He cares deeply about that.

And I would just make the point that here you had 133 cardinals from 71 different countries able to come to a decision within 24 hours. Hopefully that’s a sign of unity that the rest of the world can embrace.

RADDATZ: And I know you don’t want to give us a lot of inside baseball here, or any -- I suppose any secrets about what happened when you were electing the new pope, but give a sense of what it was like in there. How, in a way, this man, who nobody predicted, maybe a few people became pope, an American pope.

CUPICH: Well, it was a matter of not picking someone because of their nationality but because of the person. And he -- as I said earlier, he checked all the boxes. He has -- he’s multilingual. He’s lived in three different continents. He’s administratively capable. He’s a pastor and a missionary.

So, all of the trade set we talked about in the pre-conclave discussions, he seemed to fit the bill. And I think that’s why things moved in that direction.

RADDATZ: We just saw Matt there in Peru. That -- he is an American, but Peru means so much to him. He spent so much time there.

So, talk about what being an American means as a pope, given he has lived in Peru for so many years and -- and has a global vision in a way.

CUPICH: And he’s a Peruvian citizen. He has a Peruvian passport.

RADDATZ: Yes.

CUPICH: I think that’s important, and to recognize.

My hope would be that he has now a new platform to reintroduce what the church has always called for in terms of its social justice agenda and it will -- it will give people another opportunity to take a second look at what Francis was saying. But now in the -- in the words and the voice of an American who speaks like an American, I think that’s going to be very powerful going forward.

RADDATZ: You talk about America. We’re living in a very divided America, as I'm sure you know well. How will he approach that? Can he be any sort of bridge for Americans?

CUPICH: Well, you know, he takes seriously the fact that he’s the Pontifex, the bridge builder. He sees that as so very important. Rather than building walls that separate us, build bridges. I think that is something that he’s done his whole life as a missionary because he’s had to, himself, personally build a bridge with people that were unknown to him and then learn their language.

He’s learned not only Spanish, but also some of the local languages of the Peruvian people. So, he has -- he knows what it takes to build bridges because he’s done it personally. I think he can use that as a road map for the rest of us.

RADDATZ: And, of course, Pope Francis cared so much about the poor and migrants. Pope Leo does as well. In some ways, will he be a counterbalance for what’s happening in American politics right now and President Trump?

CUPICH: I think he’s going to help complete and complement our political agenda. He’ll talk a lot about the immigrants as well because he knows about the sufferings of people and the real needs that they have for a better life.

And he knows too that people in Oceania, for instance, where the -- the rising sea levels are just -- getting -- overwhelming those islands, where people are trying to escape, he sees the drug trade that’s happening in Central and South America where there are weapons form the United States going there. He knows that those people need an option.

And he’ll call for, I think, as the bishops have in the United States, fixing this broken immigration system.

RADDATZ: And, Cardinal, I have to ask you about this, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, as they are called, penned an open letter this week drawing attention to sexual abuse in the church and looking at how -- before he became pope, that -- that Prevost handled some of the allegations allegedly. How do you think he will handle the history of this church in that regard?

CUPICH: Well, I know from talking to him and also looking at his handling of cases, that he’s very committed to the norms that were put by Pope Francis and (INAUDIBLE), he does care about them. He has a record of meeting with victims, of reporting things to authorities, of doing the investigations, and also reaching out to -- to heal victims. I am confident that he will move in that direction.

And everything I have seen shows that he’s committed to that.

RADDATZ: OK. And I just want to end on a great note here. What are you looking forward to in the next couple of days?

CUPICH: Well, I am going to go back to the United States. And we have ordinations to the priesthood and some other events. We’re going to try to rally the people of Chicago together at the time of the inauguration and see if we can have our own local celebration event.

RADDATZ: I don’t think that will be a difficult path.

It’s so great to see you this morning, Cardinal.

CUPICH: No, they’re going to be -- thank you so much.

RADDATZ: Thank you so much.

We’ll have much more to come here from the Vatican.

But up next, we take you inside Russia for the nation’s Victory Day Parade, marking the end of World War II, as the U.S. and Europe push to end the war in Ukraine. My conversation with the top Kremlin spokesman and a response from Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wouldn’t say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution. What I would say is, right now, the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions, in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much.

KEITH KELLOGG, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR UKRAINE: I think we’re close. The one man who can deliver it I believe is President Trump, as long as Putin agrees, and that’s one of our -- probably our impediment to process, is the president of Russia right now not agreeing to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RADDATZ: Vice President J.D. Vance and special envoy to Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, blaming President Vladimir Putin to being an obstacle to peace when it comes to ending the war in Ukraine.

Here at the Vatican this morning, Pope Leo XIV called for a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia. As the extraordinary scene played out earlier this week with the selection of the first American pope, I was far away in Moscow, witnessing a very different and yet also extraordinary scene in Red Square. Vladimir Putin throwing a massive militaryparade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

That show of force coming at one of the most consequential moments in the war between Ukraine and Russia, with President Trump this morning saying this could be a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin offers to resume negotiations with Ukraine. But by judging by what the Russians told me this week, we are still a long way from a peace agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RADDATZ (voice-over): It was a massive display of military muscle.

Row after row of goose-stepping soldiers, more than 11,000 Russian and foreign troops marching across Moscow's Red Square, all under the gaze of Vladimir Putin, and his special guest, China's President Xi.

Tanks, artillery, and missiles rolling before them and fighter jets soaring above.

There are troops from all over the world here in Red Square today, but the largest contingent of foreign troops, from China.

(Voice-over): Putin celebrating military victories of the past, the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany 80 years ago, but keenly aware of the mounting pressure to end the war he started more than three years ago in Ukraine.

Just weeks ago, President Trump calling for Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire, to which Ukraine had already agreed. This weekend, leaders from France, Germany, Poland traveled to Kyiv to show their support for the plan and for President Zelenskyy. In this image, talking by phone to President Trump.

Top administration officials have been saying it is Putin who is the impediment to progress after Trump said weeks ago a deal was close. Overnight, Putin releasing a statement, essentially dismissing an immediate ceasefire, suggesting instead rekindling direct negotiations in Turkey this week, something his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, had floated to us in the Kremlin before the parade.

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN PRESS SECRETARY: President Putin is open for peace negotiations, without any preconditions. And this is what he was proposing for the last couple of weeks. He keeps saying that we are ready for negotiations, for direct negotiations with the Ukraine.

RADDATZ: But direct negotiations is different than being very close to a deal as President Trump said. Were you close to a deal?

PESKOV: Yes. Well, Ukraine settlement is a very complicated thing. It is not as simple as to just to sign one paper, A4 sized, and proclaim it's a deal. That's a settlement process full of tiny details. And each of that detail is vitally important for the future of both Russia and Ukraine.

RADDATZ (voice-over): Earlier this year, it was Ukraine that President Trump was publicly blaming for a lack of progress, but after that remarkable meeting with President Zelenskyy in the Vatican, for the funeral of Pope Francis, the blame shifted.

What did you think when you saw those images?

PESKOV: Well, of course, we thought that President Trump was going to use his enormous influence over Ukraine to get Ukraine closer to the idea of negotiations. Ukraine is trying to escape from negotiations.

RADDATZ (voice-over): It was shortly after that meeting with Zelenskyy that Trump started to change his tune, suggesting that Putin may be just stringing them along.

PESKOV: No, no, this is not correct. This is not correct. President Putin is doing whatever is possible to solve the problem, to achieve a settlement through peaceful and diplomatic means. But having no peaceful and diplomatic means at hand, we have to continue military operation.

RADDATZ: Peskov was insistent that he did not want to talk details of a possible ceasefire agreement or peace agreement, but was very clear about what terms the Russians would not accept, including weapons sent to Ukraine.

PESKOV: If we speak about ceasefire, what are you going to do with shipments of weapons coming every day from the United States and from European countries? What are you going to do?

RADDATZ: So you want those weapons stop coming in?

PESKOV: Otherwise it would be advantage for Ukraine.

RADDATZ (voice-over): They will not accept NATO membership for Ukraine.

PESKOV: We cannot allow NATO's military infrastructure to get that close to our borders.

RADDATZ: And as for a peacekeeping force after any ceasefire?

Could you accept European security forces, peacekeepers inside Ukraine?

PESKOV: No, we cannot.

RADDATZ: You cannot do that?

PESKOV: No.

RADDATZ: So the land that Russia has already taken, the territory that they've taken since2022, plus recognition that Crimea, that the U.S. would recognize that, is that not enough?

PESKOV: Again, you're trying to speak about details. We’re not going to do that.

RADDATZ (voice-over): But the pressure is not just from outside Russia, to join a cease-fire, it comes from within, as well.

Russian officials will not talk about the number of Russian soldiers who have been killed in this war, but you walk around the city, and you can see shrines to fallen soldiers.

By some estimates, some 200,000 Russian soldiers have been killed fighting in Ukraine. Numbers the Russians deny.

In a small town about an hour outside of Moscow, I met Inara (ph). Her husband headed into the fight shortly after their wedding. He was wounded by shrapnel on the Ukrainian battlefield, but has now returned to the front lines. The Russian soldier has signed up to fight for just a year, but because of a law signed by Putin, he now has to fight until the war ends.

Pregnant with their first child, Inara says she strongly supports Russia and President Putin, but she worries about her husband daily and wants him to come home.

So you don't know whether you're going back?

And this is Andre, a pediatrician-turned-war medic. He has seen the grim reality up close. Like Inara, he supports his president, but when I ask him about what he has seen on the battlefield, he said --

ANDRE: Enough.

RADDATZ: Enough.

Andre wants to see a cease-fire and thinks the decades of tensions between the two countries is a tragedy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RADDATZ: I'm joined now by the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova.

Good morning to you, Madam Ambassador.

I know you heard that President Trump said on Truth Social that this could potentially be a great day for Russia and Ukraine. He’s talking about the possible negotiations this week in Turkey that President Putin suggested. Is that something you are open to?

OKSANA MARKAROVA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Good morning, Martha, and Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who listens to us and watches u today.

Well, you know, it’s -- any day potentially could be a great day. And we have heard loud and clear from President Trump that ceasefires should be full and unconditional. And we have heard from other European leaders and we have heard from President Zelenskyy, who always say, yes, Ukraine is ready. Nobody wants peace more than Ukraine.

The question of the day is whether Russia wants it because today 108 Shahed drones again hit residential areas in Kyiv oblast.

So, we all hope and pray that all the efforts of President Trump, of European leaders who have been in Kyiv just yesterday, and, of course, you know, lone efforts of President Zelenskyy, not only to defend Ukraine but also to seek peace will win this out. And that means we will have to make Russia agree to that.

RADDATZ: And yet President Putin basically dismissed the idea of the ceasefire and turned to negotiations. So, is -- do you think he’s just stringing you along here?

MARKAROVA: Well, we have seen it since the day he invaded Ukraine in 2022. As, you know, President Zelenskyy, if you remember the peace plan and the negotiations, as soon as we thought Russians are ready to negotiate, we have sent him to different locations to negotiate.

Now we hope the situation is different. And again, President Trump’s idea of full and unconditional ceasefire is a great idea. We have to -- the killings have to be stopped. The attacks on civilians from Russia have to be stopped. And then, of course, we can negotiate. And President Zelenskyy today already said that, yes, Ukraine is ready to negotiate. But he put a special emphasis on ceasefire -- the idea that both he and President Trump strongly supports.

RADDATZ: Like, what can you tell us about how the European leaders came together, went into Kyiv to meet with President Zelenskyy, how did that happen? Did -- did Donald Trump bring them together?

MARKAROVA: Well, we know this week is very important for us in Europe and then globally. May 8th is the end of the World War II. And 80 percent of the World War II European theater was in Ukraine.

You know, Ukraine suffered the most. We have had horrible destructions during the World War II. We have had Holocaust at -- at our territory with so many not only Ukrainians but -- but our Jewish brothers and sisters. It was a horrible war, and I just want to remind, started by Soviet Union and Nazi regimes.

And for us it’s important to get together with everyone who fought against Nazi in Kyiv. And the -- the 9th of May we should (ph) -- unfortunately, we have seen President Xi and other leaders in Moscow cheering actually to Shahed drones, which have been flown through the Red Square, while we have been celebrating with European leaders the Europe Day. And you know, Ukraine is moving into Europe.

So I think, clearly, we see here the countries aligning with -- with the values in which they believe in. We believe in democracy, peace. We believe in freedom. And that’s why European leaders have been in Kyiv yesterday. And you have seen they call themselves the coalition of the willing, and that’s why we are coordinating closely with American friends, with people who want to stop this war and go into rebuilding and reconstruction, something that made U.S. and Europe strong after the World War II and something that both --

RADDATZ: Ambassador --

MARKAROVA: Yes.

RADDATZ: Sorry to interrupt you there. You also heard Dmitry Peskov in that piece from Moscow saying, if there was a ceasefire, the Russians wanted the U.S. and Europe to stop arming Ukraine. Would that be a non-starter for Ukraine?

MARKAROVA: Martha, he also said that they are ready to unconditional ceasefire. And yesterday, after that, they decided to change their mind. So, look, Ukraine is a sovereign country and we are only defending ourselves. And we need all the support and weapons in order to be able to defend ourselves. We never attacked Russia. We never planned to attack Russia.

So, let’s focus on ceasefire. If they’re serious, they should agree on full and unconditional ceasefire.

RADDATZ: You have heard the push from President Trump, obviously, and things he has said about the Russians and Keith Kellogg and J.D. Vance. The tone has really changed from the president and top administration officials. And we remember that day in February, you were there, head in hand in the Oval Office, when there was a fight in the Oval Office between President Trump and President Zelenskyy.

How did that change? How did they heal those wounds and end up here at the -- at the funeral of Pope Francis in that very intimate moment with those images of the two of them talking? What happened?

MARKAROVA: Martha, President Zelenskyy and President Trump had a number of great meetings, starting from last September, if you remember, in -- in New York. And we always focused our discussions on what can we do together as strategic friends and allies. And that’s why, just recently, we signed this comprehensive economic partnership agreement to create reconstruction fund for Ukraine and that’s why, right now, we are working towards just and lasting peace because this is in the interest of both of our nations.

So, look, we will focus on the future. And sometimes friends can disagree, but that’s disagreement among friends. We all have the same goals of sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, as we have heard from our leadership and your leadership. And we all have the same goal on doing something together to the benefit of our nations. Both America and Ukraine can later on (ph) get together.

RADDATZ: OK, thanks so much for joining us this morning, Ambassador. Good to see you.

MARKAROVA: Thank you.

RADDATZ: Coming up, more reaction to the historic selection of Pope Leo. Our Roundtable here at the Vatican on what it means for the U.S. and the world. We’ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RADDATZ: That's the scene overlooking St. Peter's Square. Our roundtable is coming up to talk about the historic selection of Pope Leo XIV.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chicago is the city of architecture and now the pope. We aim high.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like something that felt like so far away, like the Vatican, all that being so close to us, it's, like, really amazing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This time it’s like the whole world was excited that the pope was -- the new pope was from Chicago, Illinois.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It’s so big that they put it right on the front page of the "Chicago Sun-Times," “Da Pope.”

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: “Da Pope.”

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RADDATZ: Some of the surprised and enthusiastic responses from the streets of Chicago to Pope Leo's selection. Let's bring in our roundtable.

Senior national correspondent Terry Moran, Liz Nagy from our ABC 7 Chicago station, WLS, and our papal contributor, Father James Martin.

Good morning to you all and we got a couple of Chicagoans over here.

Terry, I want to start with you.

TERRY MORAN, ABC NEWS SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: OK.

RADDATZ: No one expected this. You've been here all week. You must have been as shocked as anybody.

MORAN: I was completely shocked. We -- we were saying on the air there'll never be an American pope, right? Because it's a superpower and that's too much America for the world.

And yet inside and some of the people who were really tracking it, saw in then-Cardinal Prevost, now Pope Leo the elements of what was needed at this moment. His experience uh around the world, his experience in Rome, and it was clear that the cardinals very quickly came to a conclusion based on the needs of the church now and who he was.

The question that we had was how much did the American moment with President Trump matter? They're telling us not at all. It was him that mattered.

RADDATZ: And -- and that's what we've been hearing this morning. It was him, but also a shock. You're still living in Chicago.

LIZ NAGY, ABC7 CHICAGO REPORTER: Shock, yes.

RADDATZ: What was it like for the Chicago community?

NAGY: I think people are absolutely stunned. I mean, I have not been back in Chicago since this happened, but we were down in the crowd and you could hear the whispers just start to pour across St. Peter Square, and people were like, is this the American? And just the very, very deep sense of hometown pride coming out of Chicago.

RADDATZ: It -- it -- it was a pretty incredible moment everywhere. One of the things I love and, obviously, he checked all the boxes as we -- as we've been hearing this morning. I love the quote from Pope Francis many years ago, urging Catholic clergy to be less imperious, wanting cardinals and bishops to be shepherds with the smell of sheep.

So does Pope Leo carry the smell of the flock? I think we all know what he meant by that.

FATHER JAMES MARTIN, ABC NEWS PAPAL CONTRIBUTOR, CONSULTANT TO THE VATICAN & EDITOR AT LARGE, AMERICA MEDIA: He does. You know, he was a pastor and a bishop in a poor diocese in Peru. He worked with the poor. He understands working with people in the margins. He met -- he talked about wanting to be with people who suffer and he is someone who is Francis said has the smell of the sheep, and that's what we got and thanks to the Holy Spirit.

RADDATZ: And you mentioned around the world, we've talked about that all day in Peru. How do you see this looking to people around the globe? Terry, you're pretty well traveled like me.

MORAN: Well, not like him. He's -- he became a Peruvian citizen. His commitment to the people that he ministered to in Peru was very genuine. And in fact, he spent more of his life outside the United States than inside. And then he came to Rome. These past couple of years, he's been selecting bishops around the world, the head of an international order.

So he is a man of the world grounded in Chicago. And when I heard about a Chicago pope, my first question was, what took so long?

(LAUGHTER)

RADDATZ: Exactly.

NAGY: Well I think it reflects the community there. It's a very diverse community in Chicago. We have more than 2 million Catholics there. One of the priests I spoke to called him a triple blessing because he speaks English and Spanish so well, he's a missionary and then of course he's from Chicago.

RADDATZ: And you know, Liz, I love the story his brother told about when he was a little kid that he would dress up as a priest and use Necco Wafers as the communion wafers. Father Martin told me that was very common.

NAGY: Yes and people down the street were like, this guy was always going to be the pope. I mean, the cardinals called him Cardinal Bob, but he's just Bob from Chicago to a lot of people in south suburban Dalton where he grew up.

RADDATZ: And, Father Martin, I want to turn to what you think he will do as pope differently, the same. You've been a big advocate for LGBTQ Catholics and commended Pope Francis's move with that. How do you look at Pope Leo in that way? And what kind of pope he'll be for LGBT rights, given -- given some of the things he said in the past that seem controversial.

MARTIN: Well, I mean, two things we look at. One the name he took Leo, which is standing with workers and laborers.

Yesterday, he talked to the cardinals. He said he wanted to continue the legacy of Pope Francis, which is being inclusive and listening and welcoming, and he has said some stuff back in 2012, but more recently in 2023, he said he wanted to work for an inclusive church and I know him a little bit and I know him to be a an open guy a listener, very straightforward.

And I think he's just going to be a great pope in the line of Francis. But he's not Francis Jr. He's Leo XIV.

RADDATZ: And do you think -- I -- I love thinking about, you know, you look at someone's past and whether or not you can judge by that, but things can be surprising?

MARTIN: Yeah, and you know, I think Francis was a surprise for a lot of people. They thought they were getting an arch conservative and they didn't. We have to let Leo be Leo, right? And also, it's important to say that what a person says or does as a cardinal is different than what they say or do as a pope because they now have a universal mission and Catholics, we believe in what's called the grace of office. The Holy Spirit kind of helps you be a more universal pastor.

RADDATZ: And -- and that's pretty much what you see too, Terry, right?

MORAN: No question about it. I think he -- by the way, he dresses, for example, the -- he loves the traditional vestments that -- that Francis, you know, put aside for a more simple look. And I think that's a message that we don't -- Catholics don't have to fight so much about tradition and not, of course, there'll be family disagreements. But I think he wants to return to one church, grounded in the message of the gospels, so people aren’t fighting so much.

MARTIN: He’s already building bridges. Someone said to me, he dresses like Benedict and talks like Francis which is not bad. And you're right, I mean, in the United States, there's this kind of progressive traditionalist divide. And I think he's the one to kind of bridge that in the states especially.

RADDATZ: And speaking of bridging, Pope Francis indirectly rebuked President Trump's policy, especially on immigration. And Pope Leo, before he was Pope, he re-tweeted some things about immigration and saying, re-tweeting that he supported the dreamers, things like that. Do you think that will be an incredibly strong message for him? I mean, he has been -- he does have the odor (ph) of sheep, as you say.

MARTIN: Well, I mean, look, he's going to preach the Gospel and in the Gospel of Jesus says, welcome the stranger. It's -- a lot of parts of the Gospel might be hard to understand, that's not hard to understand. And so, he's going to preach the Gospel in season and out and if it's political, so be it.

I think one of the interesting things that everyone in my circle has been saying is that President Trump and J.D. Vance can no longer say that the Pope doesn't understand America. So, I mean, that excuse is going to go out the window. And so, I think that's going to give him a stronger voice and whatever he talks about in the American church

RADDATZ: And Terry and Liz, do you think he will serve in some ways as a counter to President Trump on those policies?

MORAN: Reluctantly. Right? They are the two most famous Americans in the world right now. And arguably, Pope Leo might be even more famous than President Trump and whether the Pope wants it or not, because I think he wants to preach the Gospel and do the good work of the church. They have different approaches naturally in some ways, and I think that is going to come out.

He will be a voice for the teachings of Jesus, which in many ways, many Catholics believe are not consistent with some of the president's policies. That will happen. I don't think he's going to go look for a fight, but it will happen.

NAGY: Yeah. Cardinal Gregory said that the other day. He said he's not one to go out and seek a fight, but he is also not going to back down, he said, if he feels the cause is just.

MARTIN: One of the words I heard used, which I like, we're actually on top of the Augustinians' headquarters here and he's a member of the Augustinian Order. And the day he was elected, we went downstairs and there were all these Augustinians talking --

NAGY: Popping champagne.

(LAUGH)

MARTIN: Yeah, exactly. And I said to one of them, what is he like? And I knew him a little bit from working in the Vatican. And the one word that came up, they said, he is good listener. He is very open. He's no pushover.

(LAUGH)

MARTIN: So, he is -- he's a firm guy. He is a tough guy.

RADDATZ: Do you think his appointment will lead Catholics to become more involved in the church or create more interest in the church, or make it a more powerful, if it can be, in America?

MARTIN: Simple answer, yes. Did you hear what that young kid said? The Vatican seems so far away. Now, you have a Pope speaking in a Chicago accent.

(LAUGH)

MARTIN: I mean, as wonderful as Pope Francis was and I love Pope Francis, his English wasn't good. He spoken in Italian or Spanish, and we have a Pope who speaks English. Imagine if he goes back to Chicago or goes to a baseball game or goes to Villanova, I mean, what that's going to do to people. It makes the Vatican and the church, and therefore, God seem closer to people.

RADDATZ: Terry, just a final thought from you, as you've been here this week.

MORAN: Well, I think that Pope Francis looked to name cardinals and you had one on the show today, Cardinal Cupich, who were simple in their presentation to the world, not high and mighty. And that definitely is Pope Leo. He's going to be that in the papacy as well.

RADDATZ: OK, thanks. And it's great to see you, Liz. Thanks for joining us here on this very historic day, week, weeks. Thank you, Father Martin. Thank you, Terry.

Up next, one college campus was literally ringing the bells over the announcement of one of their alums as the new Pope. My conversation with Villanova's president, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RADDATZ: Those were the bells that rang out on the campus of Villanova University following the selection of Cardinal Prevost as the new pope. Prevost graduated from Villanova, one of the top Catholic universities in the nation, back in 1977, just two years after our next guest, the current president of Villanova, the Reverend Peter Donohue.

And good morning to you, Reverend Donohue.

OK, you've had a couple of days now, but reality really must have set in when he led his first mass on Friday.

REV. PETER DONOHUE, VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: It's still setting in. It doesn't seem possible that I actually know and have been with and have had dinners with and been out with the person who is now the pope. So it's a little crazy. I've known him from experience.

RADDATZ: I know when you first found out you were at a restaurant? You were at a restaurant? You let out a scream? How are you processing all of this?

DONOHUE: It's kind of surreal because you don't really ever expect to know the person, you know, that close. So, you know, it's a fellow Augustinian brother, a friend, you know, suddenly walks out on that balcony, and it's like, this is unbelievable. It's just -- it's not something anybody ever expected.

We talked about, you know, there was a possibility. Everybody was always like he's the dark horse. You know, he's an American, but is he American? And all of those kinds of things that people have talked about over the last few days. But I don't think any of us really ever expected it to happen. So, it was -- it was a real shock when it happened.

RADDATZ: Tell us what he was like as a young man there at Villanova. You were two years ahead of him and I think you were different majors, very, very different majors. So not in the same world.

DONOHUE: Very different. Yes, he was a math major. I was a theater English major. And I was a senior when he was a sophomore, so there was two years difference. And actually when he came to Villanova, I lived in a different building than he did. So our interaction was kind of minimal when he was a student. It's been more, you know, after the fact.

And when he finished the university, he went into what we call the Novice for a year and then took vows. And from there, he was sent to Rome to study. So then he went from there to Peru. So, when he was young, I wasn't really around him too much. It was more in the later years.

RADDATZ: And obviously, much has been made of him being an American. I want you to describe that part of him that is an American. Why it is so significant that we have an American pope?

DONOHUE: I think for American Catholics, it was something that we never really thought would possible. Whenever people talked about it, it was always like, you know, America is such a powerful nation, the church was always a little suspicious about having, you know, the Pope being an American.

But I think for -- for Leo, I'm still trying to get used to calling him that, it is -- it is something that he is -- certainly grew up in America. He's a native Chicago. He loves Chicago, his family, his brother still lives there. He comes back here whenever he can. He has friends in the area.

But his -- his world experience has not really been in America. So, he -- he's served a very short time here in the United States as an Augustinian. Most of his time was either in Peru or in Rome, so his experience was -- while growing up American, his experience after college and certainly after being ordained a priest was -- was always much more global, much more international.

So, the significance I think is really that you know this is somebody that has an American spirit but has also a global spirit.

RADDATZ: And tell us a little bit about the reaction from campus. They must be pretty excited there at Villanova.

DONOHUE: We are. We are. When the news came out, we were in final exams. So, people were rather preoccupied with that. So, it was a great distraction, let me tell you.

Everybody was out in the hallways and on the -- in the campus area, you know, yelling and screaming and celebrating.

Right now, the only people left on campus are our seniors. Everything is over. We have graduation next weekend. So, it -- it's a little quiet here now, but the spirit and the energy around the announcement when it happened was really enthused (ph) -- it was wonderful.

RADDATZ: And we just have a few seconds left, but have you been in touch with him?

DONOHUE: Yes, I have.

(LAUGH)

DONOHUE: I actually sent him an email, and I congratulated him and then, jokingly, I said to him, maybe I can get you for our commencement speaker next year. And he wrote back to me, he said, thanks, Peter. I appreciate it, but I doubt that's going to be possible.

RADDATZ: Yeah, I think he's going to be a little busy. Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

(LAUGH)

RADDATZ: We really appreciate it.

(LAUGH)

DONOHUE: You're welcome. My pleasure. Nice meeting you.

RADDATZ: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RADDATZ: That's all for us today. Thanks for sharing part of your Sunday with us. From here at the Vatican, check out "World News Tonight". And to all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day.