[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
[April 13, 2007]
[Pages 411-413]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast
April 13, 2007

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Good morning. Good morning. Thank 
you. It's good to be with you. You know how to make a Methodist feel 
right at home. [Laughter] I noticed that this year's breakfast was the 
Friday after Lent--[laughter]--you can eat your bacon in good 
conscience--[laughter]--and the priests can relax. [Laughter]
    I appreciate the opportunity to be with you; I really do. I thank 
you for having this prayer breakfast. Prayer breakfasts show the true 
strength of our Nation. I am honored that people say to me and 
Laura, ``We pray for you.'' It means a lot. A 
prayerful nation is a strong nation. A prayerful nation is a nation the 
true strength of which lies in the hearts of the men and women of our 
Nation.
    Our Declaration of Independence states that our freedom rests on 
self-evident truths about the dignity of the human person. Throughout 
our Nation's history, Catholic Americans have embraced, sustained, and 
given their lives to defend these truths. This morning we give thanks 
for the blessings of freedom, and we ask Almighty God to guide us as we 
renew our founding promise of liberty and justice for all.
    I'm sorry Laura couldn't be here. She is by 
far the best representative of our family. Thank you for praying for 
her.
    I appreciate my friend Leonard Leo for 
inviting me. I thank the leaders of the National Catholic Prayer 
Breakfast. I'm honored to be in the presence of Archbishop Donald 
Wuerl. I have known the Archbishop for quite 
a while. I appreciate his strong and firm dedication to making sure 
every child in America gets a good education. I am proud to be here with 
Archbishop Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the 
United States. I appreciate the members of the Catholic clergy. I am 
honored to be here with two members of our Supreme Court, the Chief 
Justice, John Roberts, and Justice Sam 
Alito.
    I thank the members of my administration who have joined us, 
particularly our Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, Jim Nicholson, and 
Suzanne. Thank you for joining us.

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    I am in awe of people like Corporal Michael Blair, United States Marine Corps. I thank the members of 
our Armed Services who are here today. I appreciate the Members of 
Congress who have joined us. Thanks for letting me come by to say hello. 
[Laughter]
    Of the 56 men who signed our Declaration of Independence, only one 
was a Catholic: Charles Carroll. In 1776, Carroll was one of the 
wealthiest men in America. But because he was a Catholic, he could not 
vote or hold public office in his native Maryland. John Adams noted that 
Carroll's wealth and patriotism marked him for special vengeance if the 
Revolution were to fail. That is why when Carroll added his name to the 
Declaration, one bystander quipped: ``There goes a few million.'' 
[Laughter]
    Carroll was willing to risk those millions because he knew that 
something far more precious was at stake: freedom. He believed that the 
self-evident truths of our Declaration would lead to religious as well 
as civil liberty. He knew that an America where people were free to 
worship God as they saw fit would be a land where Catholics would 
flourish and prosper. And he understood that whatever America's 
failings, our founding promise would always be a source of hope and 
renewal for our country. And at this breakfast, we commit ourselves to 
renewing that promise in our time.
    Renewing the promise of America begins with upholding the dignity of 
human life. In our day, there is a temptation to manipulate life in ways 
that do not respect the humanity of the person. When that happens, the 
most vulnerable among us can be valued for their utility to others, 
instead of their own inherent worth. We must continue to work for a 
culture of life, where the strong protect the weak and where we 
recognize in every human life the image of our Creator.
    Renewing the promise of America requires good citizens who look out 
for their neighbors. One of the reasons that I am such a strong believer 
in the power of our faith-based institutions is that they add something 
the government never can, and that is love. Pope Benedict the XVI put it this way in his first letter as a Pope: 
``There is no ordering of the state so just that it can eliminate the 
need for a service of love.'' In parishes and neighborhoods across our 
Nation, Catholics take this call to heart, and that is why we find so 
many of you leading the armies of compassion. You are changing America 
one heart, one soul at a time, and I thank you.
    Renewing the promise of America also includes ensuring a sound 
education for every single child. America's Catholic schools play a 
vital role in our Nation. The schools were built by poor immigrants. 
They were staffed by legions of dedicated nuns and brothers and priests, 
and they have given millions of Americans the knowledge and character 
they need to succeed in life. Today, these schools are also serving 
thousands of non-Catholic children in some of our Nation's poorest 
neighborhoods. I appreciate the tremendous sacrifices that many dioceses 
are making to keep their inner-city schools going. I am worried that too 
many of these schools are closing, and our Nation needs to do something 
about it.
    This afternoon I'll hold a meeting at the White House to discuss the 
difference America's parochial schools are making in the lives of some 
of our neediest children. We see that difference right here in the 
Nation's Capital. Pam Battle sat with 
Laura during my State of the Union Address. She's 
a mom of two: Carlos and Calvin. A few years ago, these boys were in a public school 
that was not meeting Pam's expectations. We passed what's called the DC 
School Choice Incentive Act. Many of you in this room helped get that 
act passed. As a result of that act, her boys were able to transfer to 
Assumption Catholic School, a parochial school that serves an almost 
entirely African American student body.

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    Carlos became an A-student and president 
of his eighth grade class. He now attends high school at Georgetown Day. 
Calvin is a fifth-grader at Assumption; I'm 
told that he's running for ``Student of the Month.'' [Laughter] 
Something I never achieved. [Laughter]
    Pam has a big smile on her face when she 
comes to talk about the education her 
boys are receiving. ``The main benefit of this 
program is that I can drop off my sons at school with peace of mind. 
It's safe, and I know they are working up to their level.'' That's what 
Pam said. I believe every parent in America should have that same peace 
of mind and every school in America should ensure that its students are 
working up to their fullest of potentials. I applaud our Nation's 
Catholic schools. I will continue to work to help these schools reach 
more children in need so that our children have the skills they need to 
realize the full promise of the United States of America.
    Finally, to realize the promise of America, we must have 
comprehensive immigration reform that enforces our laws and upholds the 
dignity of every single person in the United States. And now is the time 
for the United States Congress to get a bill to my desk that I can sign.
    I thank you for your fine tradition. I applaud you for the love 
you--of neighbor you show through your organizations and your churches. 
I ask that you pray for our soldiers and their families in harm's way. 
And I ask that you pray that in a troubled world, America may always 
remain a beacon of hope and of freedom.
    May God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 8:43 a.m. at the Washington Hilton Hotel. 
In his remarks, he referred to Leonard A. Leo, member, Board of 
Directors, National Catholic Prayer Breakfast; and Archbishop of 
Washington Donald W. Wuerl.