[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 15 (Monday, April 16, 2007)]
[Pages 447-448]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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.
    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

[[Page 448]]

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.
    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 Donald W. Wuerl, 
Archbishop of Washington.