by Mark Silva
After a stirring and soaring soprano rendition of The Lord’s Prayer by Kathleen Battle, President Bush welcomed Pope Benedict XVI on the sunny South Lawn of the White House this morning.
“Here in America, you’ll find a nation that welcomes the role of faith in the public square,” the president told the pontiff. “We believe in religious liberty. We also believe in a love for freedom… and that these constitute the foundation on which any free society must be built.
“In our nation, faith and reason coexist in harmony,” Bush said. “This is one of our nation’s greatest strengths… You will find an America of people whose hearts are open to your message of hope.
“We need your message that each human life is sacred… that each of us is loved, and each of us is necessary,” said Bush, with an allusion to one of the political issues on which the two agree – both staunch opponents of abortion, though they part ways on the execution of the death penalty for capital crimes.
“Americans believe that the measure of a free society is how we treat the weakest and most vulnerable among us,” Bush said. “Each day across the world the United States is working to alleviate diseaser, eradicate poverty.”
Pope Bendict said: “I trust my presence will be a source of renewal and hope.”
He will be meeting with not only the Catholic community, but also representatives of other communities, he said. “Americans find strength in a commitment of shared ideals.”