Ansprache Benedikts XVI. bei der Begrüßung im Weißen Haus
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!