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Skriven 2005-04-09 23:33:06 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050409) for Sat, 2005 Apr 9
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
April 9, 2005

President's Radio Address


˙˙˙˙˙Audio


THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I have been in Rome to attend the
funeral mass of Pope John Paul II. The ceremonies were a powerful and
moving reminder of the profound impact this Pope had on our world. And on
behalf of America, Laura and I were honored to pay tribute to this good and
holy man.

During nearly three decades on the Chair of St. Peter, this Pope brought
the gospel's message of hope and love and freedom to the far corners of the
Earth. And over this past week, millions of people across the world
returned the Pope's gift with a tremendous outpouring of affection that
transcended differences of nationality, language and religion.

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The call to freedom that defined his papacy was forged in the experiences
of Pope John Paul's own life. He came to manhood during the Nazi occupation
of his beloved Poland, when he eluded the Gestapo to attend an underground
seminary. Later, when he was named Poland's youngest bishop, he came face
to face with the other great totalitarianism of the 20th century:
Communism. And soon he taught the communist rulers in Warsaw and Moscow
that moral truth had legions of its own and a force greater than their
armies and secret police.

That moral conviction gave the man from Krakow a confidence that inspired
millions. In 1978, when he looked out at the crowd in front of St. Peter's
as their new Pope, the square rang with his words "Be Not Afraid."

Everywhere he went, the Pope preached that the call of freedom is for every
member of the human family because the Author of Life wrote it into our
common human nature.

Many in the West underestimated the Pope's influence. But those behind the
Iron Curtain knew better, and ultimately even the Berlin Wall could not
withstand the gale force of this Polish Pope.

The Pope held a special affection for America. During his many visits to
our country, he spoke of our providential Constitution, the self-evident
truths about human dignity enshrined in our Declaration, and the blessings
of liberty that followed from them. It is these timeless truths about man,
enshrined in our founding, the Pope said, that have led freedom-loving
people around the world to look to America with hope and respect. And he
challenged America always to live up to its lofty calling. The Pope taught
us that the foundation for human freedom is a universal respect for human
dignity. On all his travels, John Paul preached that even the least among
us bears the image of our Creator, so we must work for a society where the
most vulnerable among us have the greatest claim on our protection.

And by his own courageous example in the face of illness and suffering, he
showed us the path to a culture of life where the dignity of every human
person is respected, and human life at all its stages is revered and
treasured.

As the Pope grew physically weaker, his spiritual bond with young people
grew stronger. They flocked to him in his final moments, gathering outside
his window to pray and sing hymns and light candles. With them, we honor
this son of Poland who became the Bishop of Rome, and a hero for the ages.

Thank you for listening.

END

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