WELCOMING CEREMONY
ADDRESS OF
HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
South Lawn of the White House, Washington,
D.C.
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
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 two-hundredth anniversary of the 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
ideals 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. 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 and 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 humane 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 (cf. Spe Salvi, 24). 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 (cf. Centesimus Annus, 46). 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 (cf. Gen 1:26-27). 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 (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10). Faith also
gives us the strength to respond to our high calling, and the 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 under way to
make that institution an ever more effective voice for the legitimate
aspirations of all the world’s peoples. On this, the sixtieth 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 rights of every man, woman 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!
© Copyright
2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana