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After the
welcome of President Bush, Pope Benedict XVI responded with the following remarks. Mr.
President,
Thank you for your gracious words of welcome on behalf of
the people of the United States of America. I deeply
appreciate your invitation to visit this great country. My
visit coincides with an important moment in the life of the
Catholic community in America: the celebration of the
two-hundredth anniversary of the elevation of the country’s
first Diocese – Baltimore – to a metropolitan Archdiocese,
and the establishment of the Sees of New York, Boston,
Philadelphia and Louisville. Yet I am happy to be here as a
guest of all Americans. I come as a friend, a preacher of
the Gospel and one with great respect for this vast
pluralistic society. America’s Catholics have made, and
continue to make, an excellent contribution to the life of
their country. As I begin my visit, I trust that my presence
will be a source of renewal and hope for the Church in the
United States, and strengthen the resolve of Catholics to
contribute ever more responsibly to the life of this nation,
of which they are proud to be citizens.
From the dawn of the Republic, America’s quest for
freedom has been guided by the conviction that the
principles governing political and social life are
intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of
God the Creator. The framers of this nation’s founding
documents drew upon this conviction when they proclaimed the
"self-evident truth" that all men are created equal and
endowed with inalienable rights grounded in the laws of
nature and of nature’s God. The course of American history
demonstrates the difficulties, the struggles, and the great
intellectual and moral resolve which were demanded to shape
a society which faithfully embodied these noble principles.
In that process, which forged the soul of the nation,
religious beliefs were a constant inspiration and driving
force, as for example in the struggle against slavery and in
the civil rights movement. In our time too, particularly in
moments of crisis, Americans continue to find their strength
in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideals and
aspirations.
In the next few days, I look forward to meeting not only
with America’s Catholic community, but with other Christian
communities and representatives of the many religious
traditions present in this country. Historically, not only
Catholics, but all believers have found here the freedom to
worship God in accordance with the dictates of their
conscience, while at the same time being accepted as part of
a commonwealth in which each individual and group can make
its voice heard. As the nation faces the increasingly
complex political and ethical issues of our time, I am
confident that the American people will find in their
religious beliefs a precious source of insight and an
inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible and respectful
dialogue in the effort to build a more humane and free
society.
Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to
personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience
– almost every town in this country has its monuments
honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of
freedom, both at home and abroad. The preservation of
freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue,
self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good and a sense
of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also
demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring
one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate.
In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out
to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for
the cause of good (cf. Spe Salvi, 24). Few have
understood this as clearly as the late Pope John Paul II. In
reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over
totalitarianism in his native Poland and in eastern Europe,
he reminded us that history shows, time and again, that "in
a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation", and a
democracy without values can lose its very soul (cf.
Centesimus Annus, 46). Those prophetic words in some
sense echo the conviction of President Washington, expressed
in his Farewell Address, that religion and morality
represent "indispensable supports" of political prosperity.
The Church, for her part, wishes to contribute to
building a world ever more worthy of the human person,
created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen
1:26-27). She is convinced that faith sheds new light on all
things, and that the Gospel reveals the noble vocation and
sublime destiny of every man and woman (cf. Gaudium et
Spes, 10). Faith also gives us the strength to respond
to our high calling, and the hope that inspires us to work
for an ever more just and fraternal society. Democracy can
only flourish, as your founding fathers realized, when
political leaders and those whom they represent are guided
by truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle
to decisions affecting the life and future of the nation.
For well over a century, the United States of America has
played an important role in the international community. On
Friday, God willing, I will have the honor of addressing the
United Nations Organization, where I hope to encourage the
efforts under way to make that institution an ever more
effective voice for the legitimate aspirations of all the
world’s peoples. On this, the sixtieth anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the need for global
solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live
in a way worthy of their dignity – as brothers and sisters
dwelling in the same house and around that table which God’s
bounty has set for all his children. America has
traditionally shown herself generous in meeting immediate
human needs, fostering development and offering relief to
the victims of natural catastrophes. I am confident that
this concern for the greater human family will continue to
find expression in support for the patient efforts of
international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote
progress. In this way, coming generations will be able to
live in a world where truth, freedom and justice can
flourish – a world where the God-given dignity and rights of
every man, woman and child are cherished, protected and
effectively advanced.
Mr. President, dear friends: as I begin my visit to the
United States, I express once more my gratitude for your
invitation, my joy to be in your midst, and my fervent
prayers that Almighty God will confirm this nation and its
people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God
bless America!
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