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Catholic World News News Feature

President Bush praises Catholic influence April 07, 2006

President George W. Bush praised the Catholic faith for "helping our citizens acquire the character we need to live as free people," and paid a special tribute to the late Pope John Paul II, as he spoke to a National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, on April 7.

"Thanks for inviting a Methodist," the President joked as he was introduced to the crowd. Noting the meatless menu for the breakfast-- occurring on a Friday in Lent-- he added that "there's not a slice of bacon around."

In today's world, President Bush said, skeptics question whether all of the world's people truly long for freedom. "Some believe you cannot distinguish between right and wrong," he added. "The Catholic Church rejects such a pessimistic view of human nature, and offers a vision of human freedom and dignity rooted in the same self-evident truths of America's founding."

"Freedom is a gift from the Almighty," the President continued. He went on to extol the example set by Pope John Paul, who "set off one of the greatest revolutions for freedom the world has ever known. "

Appealing for the support of his Catholic audience, Bush cited the effort "to strengthen a culture of life." He implicitly acknowledged the criticism that some Catholic leaders have leveled against proposals to curb illegal immigration, but said: "An immigration system that forces people into the shadows of our society, or leaves them prey to criminals is a system that needs to be changed."