For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 20, 2005
President Attends National Catholic Prayer Breakfast
Washington Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.
8:42 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you for that warm reception -- especially for
a Methodist. (Laughter and applause.) It's an honor to be here at the
2nd Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. This is a new
tradition, yet, its promises are timeless for Catholic Americans: to
thank the Lord for the blessing of freedom, to renew our shared
dedication to this great republic, and to pray that America uses the
gift of freedom to build a culture of life. (Applause.)
I am sorry that Laura is not here. You probably think she's
preparing a couple of new one-liners. (Laughter.) But, in fact, she's
winging her way to Jordan and Egypt and Israel to spread the freedom
agenda. (Applause.) But I know if she were here, she would join me in
thanking you and millions of others whom we'll never get to say thanks
to in person for the countless prayers. It's an amazing experience to
be the President of a nation where strangers from all religions pray
for me and Laura. And I will tell you, it gives me such peace of mind,
and enables me to do my job much better when I'm lifted up in prayer.
Thank you for your prayers. (Applause.)
I want to thank Leonard Leo for his kind introduction. I want to
thank Joe Cella, the President of the National Catholic Prayer
Breakfast. I want to thank His Eminence Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
What a fine man. What a beacon of hope. (Applause.) His Eminence
shines brightly in the nation's capital. Applause.) I appreciate
Archbishop Chaput of Denver, thank you for being here, sir. I
apologize to him for not being able to listen to his address. He said,
we're paying you a lot of money. Get back to work. (Laughter.)
Fortunately, he didn't say, we're paying you too much money, get back
to work. (Laughter.)
I appreciate Archbishop Gomez from the great state of Texas.
(Applause.) Sister, thank you, very much. Admiral, thank you, very
much, sir. Carl Anderson, the Supreme Knights of Columbus, is with us
today. Carl, thank you for your friendship. (Applause.)
The Catholic contribution to American freedom goes back to the
founding of our country. In 1790, a newly inaugurated George
Washington -- the first George W. -- (laughter and applause) --
addressed a letter to all Catholics in America. He assured them that
"your fellow citizens will not forget the patriotic part which you took
in the accomplishment of their revolution." I'm honored to stand
before you to offer my gratitude for the work American Catholic sons
and daughters are doing for our nation. This work includes the
incredible acts of compassion through our faith-based institutions that
help Americans in need, especially the Catholic schools that educate
millions of our fellow citizens and deliver hope to inner-city children
of all faiths. (Applause.)
This morning we first thank God for the shared blessings of
American liberty. Catholics have always known that a society built on
respect for the religious beliefs of others would be a land where they
could achieve and prosper.
When the French writer, de Tocqueville, visited these shores back
in the 1830s, he noted that the most democratic country in the world
was also the one where the Catholic religion was making the most
progress. He called Catholics the most faithful believers in our land,
yet also the most independent of citizens. (Laughter.) As I've learned
from dealing with Senator Santorum. (Laughter and applause.)
This morning we also reaffirm that freedom rests on the
self-evident truths about human dignity. Pope Benedict XVI recently
warned that when we forget these truths, we risk sliding into a
dictatorship of relativism where we can no longer defend our values.
Catholics and non-Catholics alike can take heart in the man who sits on
the chair of St. Peter, because he speaks with affection about the
American model of liberty rooted in moral conviction.
This morning we pray for the many Catholics who serve America in
the cause of freedom. One of them is an Army Chaplain named Tim
Vakoc. He's a beloved priest who was seriously wounded in Iraq last
May. We pray for his recovery, we're inspired by his sacrifice. In
the finest tradition of American chaplains, he once told his sister,
"The safest place for me to be is in the center of God's will, and if
that is in the line of fire, that's where I'll be." Father Tim's
sister, Anita Brand, and her family, are with us today, and a grateful
nation expresses our gratitude to a brave Reverend. (Applause.)
Catholics have made sacrifices throughout American history because
they understand that freedom is a divine gift that carries with it
serious responsibilities. Among the greatest of these responsibilities
is protecting the most vulnerable members of our society. That was the
message that Pope John Paul II proclaimed so tirelessly throughout his
own life, and it explains the remarkable outpouring of love for His
Holiness at the funeral mass that Laura and I were privileged to attend
in Rome. It explains why when the men were carrying his wooden casket
up the stairs, and they turned to show the casket to the millions that
were there, that just as the casket crests, the sun shown for all to
see. (Applause.)
The best way to honor this great champion of human freedom is to
continue to build a culture of life where the strong protect the weak.
(Applause.) So, today, I ask the prayers of all Catholics for
America's continued trust in God's purpose, for the wisdom to do what's
right, and for the strength and the conviction that so long as America
remains faithful to its founding truths, America will always be free.
Thank you for allowing me to come. May God bless you all, and may
God continue to bless America. (Applause.)
END 8:51 A.M. EDT
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