Courtesy CWNews.com - Remarks of President Bush and Archbishop Wuerl at the annual Catholic Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C., on Friday, April 13, 2007.
Excerpt of Remarks by President Bush:
Renewing the promise of America begins with upholding the dignity of human life. (Applause.) In our day, there is a temptation to manipulate life in ways that do not respect the humanity of the person. When that happens, the most vulnerable among us can be valued for their utility to others -- instead of their own inherent worth. We must continue to work for a culture of life -- where the strong protect the weak, and where we recognize in every human life the image of our Creator. (Applause.)
Renewing the promise of America requires good citizens who look out for their neighbors. One of the reasons that I am such a strong believer in the power of our faith-based institutions is that they add something the government never can, and that is love. (Applause.) Pope Benedict the 16th put it this way in his first letter as Pope: "There is no ordering of the state so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love." In parishes and neighborhoods across our nation, Catholics take this call to heart -- and that is why we find so many of you leading America's armies of compassion. You are changing America one heart, one soul at a time, and I thank you. (Applause.)
Renewing the promise of America also includes ensuring a sound education for every single child. America's Catholic schools play a vital role in our nation. The schools were built by poor immigrants, they were staffed by legions of dedicated nuns, brothers, and priests -- and they have given millions of Americans the knowledge and character they need to succeed in life. Today, these schools are also serving thousands of non-Catholic children in some of nation's poorest neighborhoods. I appreciate the tremendous sacrifices that many dioceses are making to keep their inner-city schools going. I am worried that too many of these schools are closing -- and our nation needs to do something about it. (Applause.)
Excerpt of Remarks by Archbishop Wuerl:
The development of American political thought from the time of the Mayflower Compact resulted eventually in a composite political philosophy which guided the colonists at the time of the Revolution. It is found in a multiplicity of sources such as the Bible, sermons, classics in philosophical literature, platform addresses, newspaper discussions, pamphlets, official pronouncements and directives, resolutions of colonial assemblies, colonial charters and constitutions.
Out of all of these many threads, there is woven one common principle that is formative of the American political experience. The belief in the binding character of moral law is fundamental to any understanding of American thought. Government must be guided by foundational moral principles. All human government must be limited.
The intimate relation of the law of nature to God’s law was stated in terms of identity by John Barnard in his Massachusetts election sermon of 1734 where he stated: “This voice of nature is the voice of God.”
The understanding of God’s law at work and discernable through our rational nature also finds resonance in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which speaks not only of the foundational nature of the natural moral law but describes the commandments themselves as privileged expressions of the natural law.
Apr. 16, 2007 - Links to Full Remarks