[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
[May 20, 2005]
[Pages 835-837]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast
May 20, 2005
Thank you for that warm reception, especially for a Methodist.
[Laughter] It's an honor to be here at the second annual National
Catholic Prayer Breakfast. This is a new tradition, yet its promises are
timeless for Catholic Americans, to thank the Lord for the blessing of
freedom, to renew our shared dedication to this great Republic, and to
pray that America uses the gift of freedom to build a culture of life.
I am sorry that Laura is not here. You
probably think she's preparing a couple of new one-liners. [Laughter]
But in fact, she's winging her way to Jordan and Egypt and Israel to
spread the freedom agenda. But I know if she were here, she would join
me in thanking you and millions of others whom we'll never get to say
thanks to in person for the countless prayers. It's an amazing
experience to be the President of a nation where strangers from all
religions pray for me and Laura. And I will tell you, it gives me such
peace of mind and enables me to do my job much better when I'm lifted up
in prayer. Thank you for your prayers.
I want to thank Leonard Leo for his kind
introduction. I want to thank Joe
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Cella, the president of the National
Catholic Prayer Breakfast. I want to thank His Eminence Cardinal
Theodore McCarrick. What a
fine man; what a beacon of hope. His Eminence shines brightly in the
Nation's Capital.
I appreciate Archbishop Chaput of
Denver. Thank you for being here, sir. I apologize to him for not being
able to listen to his address. He said, ``We're paying you a lot of
money. Get back to work.'' [Laughter] Fortunately, he didn't say,
``We're paying you too much money. Get back to work.'' [Laughter]
I appreciate Archbishop Gomez from the
great State of Texas. Sister, thank you
very much. Admiral, thank you very much,
sir.
Carl Anderson, the Supreme--Knights of
Columbus, is with us today. Carl, thank you for your friendship.
The Catholic contribution to American freedom goes back to the
founding of our country. In 1790, a newly inaugurated George Washington,
the first George W.--[laughter]--addressed a letter to all Catholics in
America. He assured them that ``your fellow citizens will not forget the
patriotic part which you took in the accomplishment of their
revolution.'' I'm honored to stand before you to offer my gratitude for
the work American Catholic sons and daughters are doing for our Nation.
This work includes the incredible acts of compassion through our faith-
based institutions that help Americans in need, especially the Catholic
schools that educate millions of our fellow citizens and deliver hope to
inner-city children of all faiths.
This morning we first thank God for the shared blessings of American
liberty. Catholics have always known that a society built on respect for
the religious beliefs of others would be a land where they could achieve
and prosper.
When the French writer de Tocqueville visited these shores back in
the 1830s, he noted that the most democratic country in the world was
also the one where the Catholic religion was making the most progress.
He called Catholics the most faithful believers in our land, yet also
the most independent of citizens--[laughter]--as I've learned from
dealing with Senator Santorum. [Laughter]
This morning we also reaffirm that freedom rests on the self-evident
truths about human dignity. Pope Benedict XVI recently warned that when we forget these truths, we risk
sliding into a dictatorship of relativism where we can no longer defend
our values. Catholics and non-Catholics alike can take heart in the man
who sits on the chair of Saint Peter, because he speaks with affection
about the American model of liberty rooted in moral conviction.
This morning we pray for the many Catholics who serve America in the
cause of freedom. One of them is an Army Chaplain named Tim
Vakoc. He's a beloved priest who was
seriously wounded in Iraq last May. We pray for his recovery; we're
inspired by his sacrifice. In the finest tradition of American
chaplains, he once told his sister, ``The safest place for me to be is
in the center of God's will, and if that is in the line of fire, that's
where I'll be.'' Father Tim's sister, Anita Brand, and her family are with us today, and a grateful nation
expresses our gratitude to a brave reverend.
Catholics have made sacrifices throughout American history because
they understand that freedom is a divine gift that carries with it
serious responsibilities. Among the greatest of these responsibilities
is protecting the most vulnerable members of our society. That was the
message that Pope John Paul II proclaimed so tirelessly throughout his
own life, and it explains the remarkable outpouring of love for His
Holiness at the funeral mass that Laura and I
were privileged to attend in Rome. It explains why when the men were
carrying his wooden casket up the stairs and they turned to show the
casket to the millions that were there, that just as the casket crests,
the sun shown for all to see.
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The best way to honor this great champion of human freedom is to
continue to build a culture of life where the strong protect the weak.
So today I ask the prayers of all Catholics for America's continued
trust in God's purpose, for the wisdom to do what's right, and for the
strength and the conviction that so long as America remains faithful to
its founding truths, America will always be free.
Thank you for allowing me to come. May God bless you all, and may
God continue to bless America.
Note: The President spoke at 8:42 a.m. at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
In his remarks, he referred to Leonard Leo, member of the board of
directors, National Catholic Prayer Breakfast; Theodore E. Cardinal
McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington; Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of
Denver; Jose H. Gomez, Archbishop of San Antonio; Sr. Margaret Mary
Jerousek, Little Sisters of the Poor; Rear Adm. Louis V. Iasiello, USN,
Chief of Navy Chaplains; and Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight, Knights
of Columbus. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
language transcript of these remarks.