What the Pope REALLY Said to President Bush

Vatican Web Site ^ | June 4, 2004

[ElkGroveDan]

Despite all the headlines claiming the Pope "upbraided" and "scolded" President Bush in the June 4 audience (and advance reports that Cdl. Pio Laghi predicted severe words), here is what the Pope REALLY said - from Vatican web site -

UDIENZA AL PRESIDENTE DEGLI STATI UNITI DíAMERICA, S.E. IL SIGNOR GEORGE WALKER BUSH , 04.06.2004 and conferral of the "PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM"

At 12 noon today, the Holy Father John Paul II received in Audience Mr. George Walker Bush, President of the United States of America, with his wife and staff.

* DISCORSO DEL SANTO PADRE Mr. President,

1. I offer a warm welcome to you and to Mrs. Bush, and to the distinguished Delegation accompanying you. I also extend a cordial and affectionate greeting to all the people of the United States whom you represent. I thank you for wishing to meet with me again, in spite of the difficulties presented by your own many commitments during this present visit to Europe and Italy, and by my own departure tomorrow morning for a meeting with young people in Switzerland.

2. You are visiting Italy to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of Rome and to honor the memory of the many American soldiers who gave their lives for their country and for the freedom of the peoples of Europe. I join you in recalling the sacrifice of those valiant dead and in asking the Lord that the mistakes of the past, which gave rise to appalling tragedies, may never again be repeated. Today I too think back with great emotion on the many Polish soldiers who died for the freedom of Europe. Our thoughts also turn today to the twenty years in which the Holy See and the United States have enjoyed formal diplomatic relations, established in 1984 under President Reagan. These relations have promoted mutual understanding on great issues of common interest and practical cooperation in different areas. I send my regards to President Reagan and to Mrs. Reagan, who is so attentive to him in his illness. I would also like to express my esteem for all the Representatives of the United States to the Holy See, together with my appreciation for the competence, sensitivity and great commitment with which they have favored the development of our relations.

3. Mr. President, your visit to Rome takes place at a moment of great concern for the continuing situation of grave unrest in the Middle East, both in Iraq and in the Holy Land. You are very familiar with the unequivocal position of the Holy See in this regard, expressed in numerous documents, through direct and indirect contacts, and in the many diplomatic efforts which have been made since you visited me, first at Castelgandolfo on 23 July 2001, and again in this Apostolic Palace on 28 May 2002.

4. It is the evident desire of everyone that this situation now be normalized as quickly as possible with the active participation of the international community and, in particular, the United Nations Organization, in order to ensure a speedy return of Iraqís sovereignty, in conditions of security for all its people. The recent appointment of a Head of State in Iraq and the formation of an interim Iraqi government are an encouraging step towards the attainment of this goal. May a similar hope for peace also be rekindled in the Holy Land and lead to new negotiations, dictated by a sincere and determined commitment to dialogue, between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

5. The threat of international terrorism remains a source of constant concern. It has seriously affected normal and peaceful relations between States and peoples since the tragic date of 11 September 2001, which I have not hesitated to call "a dark day in the history of humanity". In the past few weeks other deplorable events have come to light which have troubled the civic and religious conscience of all, and made more difficult a serene and resolute commitment to shared human values: in the absence of such a commitment neither war nor terrorism will ever be overcome. May God grant strength and success to all those who do not cease to hope and work for understanding between peoples, in respect for the security and rights of all nations and of every man and woman.

6. At the same time, Mr. President, I take this opportunity to acknowledge the great commitment of your Government and of your nation's numerous humanitarian agencies, particularly those of Catholic inspiration, to overcoming the increasingly intolerable conditions in various African countries, where the suffering caused by fratricidal conflicts, pandemic illnesses and a degrading poverty can no longer be overlooked.

I also continue to follow with great appreciation your commitment to the promotion of moral values in American society, particularly with regard to respect for life and the family.

7. A fuller and deeper understanding between the United States of America and Europe will surely play a decisive role in resolving the great problems which I have mentioned, as well as so many others confronted by humanity today. May your visit, Mr. President, give new and powerful impetus to such cooperation.

Mr. President, as you carry out your lofty mission of service to your nation and to world peace, I assure you of my prayers and cordially invoke upon you God's blessings of wisdom, strength and peace.

May God bestow peace and freedom upon all mankind!

[00906-02.02] [Original text: English]

* PAROLE DEL SANTO PADRE IN OCCASIONE DEL CONFERIMENTO DELLA "PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM" I am grateful, Mr. President, for this thoughtful gesture.

May the desire for freedom, peace and a more humane world symbolized by this medal inspire men and women of good will in every time and place.

God bless America!

[WorkingClassFilth]

Thanks, Dan. The deliberate confusion in the media requires our own systems of information. You earned your pay as a minion of the VRWC today.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Thanks, Dan. The deliberate confusion in the media requires our own systems of information. You earned your pay as a minion of the VRWC today.

[Salvation]

Thanks to you!

And no thanks to ABCNNBCBS!

[jungleboy]

This part is troublesome, imho...

"as quickly as possible with the active participation of the international community and, in particular, the United Nations Organization"..

[RightWhale]

as quickly as possible with the active participation of the international community and, in particular, the United Nations Organization

He seems to be saying that he wishes the UN would get off its dead a$$ and start being useful.

[knarf]

Ahhh ... the politics of religion.
The Pope said nothing more than what AlQuerry has proposed (bring in the UN) and said back to our President what President Bush has already articulated to the world.

This was a courtesy call on a dieing man.

President Bush has more class in his pinkie finger than the entire RAT/socialist/commie bunch in congress and Move on.org combined.

I have so much respect for this man.

[zencat]

One would think from the reporting about Bush's visit that the only thing that took place was the Pope chewed Bush out over the war in Iraq.

The media are even willing to lie and distort the Pope's own words. They are truly disgraceful.

[Cicero]

The Pope has a great interest in world order. The one thing in his speech that I wonder about is his continued confidence in the UN, despite the fact that the Vatican has been fighting with the UN for most of the past 20 years, trying to oppose its plans to sterilize the third world. But notice this sentence toward the end:

"Mr. President, as you carry out your lofty mission of service to your nation and to world peace, I assure you of my prayers and cordially invoke upon you God's blessings of wisdom, strength and peace."

I believe that is a clear recognition on the Pope's part that Bush is NOT a warmonger, but that he is fighting terrorism in hopes of bringing peace and order to the world--what Karl Weigel refers to as tranquillitas ordinis.

[Libloather]

You earned your pay as a minion of the VRWC today.

I'm on the clock. How much does the VRWC earn these days? (Hourly rates based on right coast labor only...)

[StriperSniper]

One would think from the reporting about Bush's visit that the only thing that took place was the Pope chewed Bush out over the war in Iraq.

ABC Radio News(the network stuff) during the afternoon of the visit did not even mention the medal in one top or bottom of the hour. I made sure to listen the next time, and it was just barely mentioned in passing along with all the 'dirt'. :(

[Notasoccermom]

"I also continue to follow with great appreciation your commitment to the promotion of moral values in American society, particularly with regard to respect for life and the family."

These words could never have been delivered to the former president.

[VOA]

bump

[nmh]

Oh, who really cares!

The man is a useless hypocrite.

[PGalt]

Thanks for your post.

[WorkingClassFilth]

"How much does the VRWC earn these days?"

The priceless treasure of freedom.

OTOH, if Kerry wins, do a NPV analysis of your future.

[Palladin]

So...the Pope is a Democrat.

Who knew???

[watchin]

So why does the pope want the UN involved? Is it the atheist/communist regimes, or the terrorist/islamic regimes, or apostate old Europe that he finds so necessary to world peace?

[Libloather]

So...the Pope is a Democrat.

So was Ronald Reagan. Wisdom comes with years...

[DoctorMichael]

Thanks.