[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E634-E635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

WELCOMING POPE BENEDICT XVI TO THE UNITED STATES

______

HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

of new jersey

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, my wife Marie and I were
among the thousands who joined President George W. Bush and Laura on
the White House lawn today in welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the United
States.
It was among the most inspiring events of my 28 years in Congress.
Both men--extraordinary leaders for extraordinarily difficult times--
spoke eloquently of the challenges, opportunities and duties of global
citizenship. Both called us to work harder and more effectively for
others, especially the disenfranchised, weak and vulnerable.
President Bush--speaking for us--said to the Pope:

``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. . . . Here
in America you'll find a nation that welcomes the role of
faith in the public square. . . . Here in America, you'll
find a nation that is fully modern, yet guided by ancient and
eternal truths. . . . 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.''

Pope Benedict said ``I come as a friend. a preacher of the Gospel,
and one with great respect for this vast pluralistic society . . .''
He said he hoped his presence would he ``a source of renewal and
hope.'' He reminded us that ``Freedom is not only a gift, but also a
summons to personal responsibility.'' And the Pope urged us to greater
action:

``the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if
all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity--as
brothers and sisters dwelling in the same house and around
that table which God's bounty has set for all his children.
America has traditionally shown herself generous in meeting
immediate human needs, fostering development and offering
relief to the victims of natural catastrophes. I am confident
that this concern for the greater human family will continue
to find expression in support for the patient efforts of
international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote
progress. In this way, coming generations will be able to
live in a world where truth, freedom and justice can
flourish--a world where the God-given dignity and the rights
of every man, women and child are cherished, protected and
effectively advanced.

Madam Speaker, what follows are both the President and Pope's remarks
in their entirety.

President Bush Welcomes His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to White House

President Bush: 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 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 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 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'' 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.

Pope Benedict XVI: Mr. President, thank you for your
gracious words of welcome on behalf of the people of the
United States of America. I deeply appreciate your invitation
to visit this great country. My visit coincides with an
important moment in the life of the Catholic community in
America: the celebration of the 200th anniversary of
elevation of the country's first Diocese--Baltimore--to a
metropolitan Archdiocese and the establishment of the Sees of
New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville.
Yet I am happy to be here as a guest of all Americans. I
come as a friend, a preacher of the Gospel, and one with
great respect for this vast pluralistic society. America's
Catholics have made, and continue to make, an excellent
contribution to the life of their country. As I begin my
visit, I trust that my presence will be a source of renewal
and hope for the Church in the United States, and strengthen
the resolve of Catholics to contribute ever more responsibly
to the life of this nation, of which they are proud to be
citizens.
From the dawn of the Republic, America's quest for freedom
has been guided by the conviction that the principles
governing political and social life are intimately linked to
a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator. The
framers of this nation's founding documents drew upon this
conviction when they proclaimed the self-evident truth that
all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights
grounded in the laws of nature and of nature's God.
The course of American history demonstrates the
difficulties, the struggles, and the great intellectual and
moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which
faithfully embodied these noble principles. In that process,
which forged the soul of the nation, religious beliefs were a
constant inspiration and driving force, as for example in the
struggle against slavery and in the civil rights movement. In
our time, too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans
continue to find their strength in a commitment to this
patrimony of shared ideas and aspirations.
In the next few days, I look forward to meeting not only
with America's Catholic community, but with other Christian
communities and representatives of the many religious
traditions present in this country.

[[Page E635]]

Historically, not only Catholics, but all believers have
found here the freedom to worship God in accordance with the
dictates of their conscience, while at the same time being
accepted as part of a commonwealth in which each individual
group can make its voice heard.
As the nation faces the increasingly complex political and
ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American
people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source
of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible
and respectful dialogue in the effort to build a more human
and free society.
Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal
responsibility. Americans know this from experience--almost
every town in this country has its monuments honoring those
who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at
home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the
cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the
common good, and a sense of responsibility towards the less
fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic
life and to bring one's deepest beliefs and values to
reasoned public debate.
In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out
to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for
the cause of good. Few have understood this as clearly as the
late Pope John Paul II. In reflecting on the spiritual
victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland
and in Eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows time
and again that ``in a world without truth, freedom loses its
foundation,'' and a democracy without values can lose its
very soul. Those prophetic words in some sense echo the
conviction of President Washington, expressed in his Farewell
Address, that religion and morality represent ``indispensable
supports'' of political prosperity.
The Church, for her part, wishes to contribute to building
a world ever more worthy of the human person, created in the
image and likeness of God. She is convinced that faith sheds
new light on all things, and that the Gospel reveals the
noble vocation and sublime destiny of every man and woman.
Faith also gives us the strength to respond to our high
calling and to hope that inspires us to work for an ever more
just and fraternal society. Democracy can only flourish, as
your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and
those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the
wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting
the life and future of the nation.
For well over a century, the United States of America has
played an important role in the international community. On
Friday, God willing, I will have the honor of addressing the
United Nations organization, where I hope to encourage the
efforts underway to make that institution an ever more
effective voice for the legitimate aspirations of all the
world's peoples.
On this, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, the need for global solidarity is as urgent
as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their
dignity--as brothers and sisters dwelling in the same house
and around that table which God's bounty has set for all his
children. America has traditionally shown herself generous in
meeting immediate human needs, fostering development and
offering relief to the victims of natural catastrophes. I am
confident that this concern for the greater human family will
continue to find expression in support for the patient
efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and
promote progress. In this way, coming generations will be
able to live in a world where truth, freedom and justice can
flourish--a world where the God-given dignity and the rights
of every man, women and child are cherished, protected and
effectively advanced.
Mr. President, dear friends, as I begin my visit to the
United States, I express once more my gratitude for your
invitation, my joy to be in your midst, and my fervent
prayers that Almighty God will confirm this nation and its
people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God
bless America.

____________________