[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 14 (Monday, April 11, 2005)]
[Page 552]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Death of Pope John Paul II

April 2, 2005

    Laura and I join people across the Earth in mourning the passing of 
Pope John Paul II. The Catholic Church has lost its shepherd. The world 
has lost a champion of human freedom, and a good and faithful servant of 
God has been called home.
    Pope John Paul II left the throne of Saint Peter in the same way he 
ascended to it, as a witness to the dignity of human life. In his native 
Poland, that witness launched a democratic revolution that swept Eastern 
Europe and changed the course of history. Throughout the West, John 
Paul's witness reminded us of our obligation to build a culture of life 
in which the strong protect the weak. And during the Pope's final years, 
his witness was made even more powerful by his daily courage in the face 
of illness and great suffering.
    All Popes belong to the world, but Americans had special reason to 
love the man from Krakow. In his visits to our country, the Pope spoke 
of our ``providential'' Constitution, the self-evident truths about 
human dignity in our Declaration, and the ``blessings of liberty'' that 
follow from them. ``It is these truths,'' he said, ``that have led 
people all over the world to look to America with hope and respect.''
    Pope John Paul II was, himself, an inspiration to millions of 
Americans and to so many more throughout the world. We will always 
remember the humble, wise, and fearless priest who became one of 
history's great moral leaders. We're grateful to God for sending such a 
man, a son of Poland, who became the Bishop of Rome and a hero for the 
ages.

Note: The President spoke at 4:02 p.m. in the Cross Hall at the White 
House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.