[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 15 (Monday, April 21, 2008)]
[Pages 522-523]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a Welcoming Ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI

April 16, 2008

    Holy Father, Laura and I are privileged to have you here at the 
White House. We welcome you with the ancient words commended by Saint 
Augustine: Pax tecum. Peace be with you.
    You've chosen to visit America on your birthday. Well, birthdays are 
traditionally spent with close friends, so our entire Nation is moved 
and honored that you've decided to share this special day with us. We 
wish you much health and happiness today and for many years to come.
    This is your first trip to the United States since you ascended to 
the Chair of Saint Peter. You will visit two of our greatest cities and 
meet countless Americans, including many who have traveled from across 
the country to see with you and to share in the joy of this visit. Here 
in America, you'll find a nation of prayer. Each day, millions of our 
citizens approach our Maker on bended knee, seeking His grace and giving 
thanks for the many blessings He bestows upon us. Millions of Americans 
have been praying for your visit, and millions look forward to praying 
with you this week.
    Here in America, you'll find a nation of compassion. Americans 
believe that the measure of a free society is how we treat the weakest 
and most vulnerable among us. So each day, citizens across America 
answer to the universal call to feed the hungry and comfort the sick and 
care for the infirm. Each day, across the world, the United States is 
working to eradicate disease, alleviate poverty, promote peace, and 
bring the light of hope to places still mired in the darkness of tyranny 
and despair.
    Here in America, you'll find a nation that welcomes the role of 
faith in the public square. When our Founders declared our Nation's 
independence, they rested their

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case on an appeal to the laws of nature and of nature's God. We believe 
in religious liberty. We also believe that a love for freedom and a 
common moral law are written into every human heart and that these 
constitute the firm foundation on which any successful free society must 
be built.
    Here in America, you'll find a nation that is fully modern, yet 
guided by ancient and eternal truths. The United States is the most 
innovative, creative, and dynamic country on Earth. It is also among the 
most religious. In our Nation, faith and reason coexist in harmony. This 
is one of our country's greatest strengths and one of the reasons that 
our land remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for millions across 
the world.
    Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose 
hearts are open to your message of hope. And America and the world need 
this message.
    In a world where some invoke the name of God to justify acts of 
terror and murder and hate, we need your message that God is love. And 
embracing this love is the surest way to save men from falling prey to 
the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism.
    In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and 
discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred and that 
each of us is willed, each of us is loved--[applause]--and your message 
that each of us is willed, each of us is loved, and each of us is 
necessary.
    In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish 
between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this 
dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth.
    In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they 
wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our 
freedom not just for ourselves but in a spirit of mutual support.
    Holy Father, thank you for making this journey to America. Our 
Nation welcomes you. We appreciate the example you set for the world, 
and we ask that you always keep us in your prayers.

Note: The President spoke at 10:38 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also 
included the remarks of Pope Benedict XVI. The Office of the Press 
Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.