Bush: 'The calm and the rough seas'

by Mark Silva

"This has been a joyous week. It's been a joyous time for Catholics - and it wasn't such a bad week for Methodists, either,'' said President Bush, a Methodist, addressing a national prayer breakfast in Washington this morning after a big week in the capital. "The excitement was just palpable. The streets were lined with people that were so thrilled that the Holy Father was here.''

The president wasted no time at his political pulpit in the Washington Hilton this morning getting to "the dignity of human life'' - his opening for the fight against abortion and his own opposition to federal funding for new lines of embryonic stem-cell research.

With a blend of prayer and politics, the president, nearing the end of a tempestuous two terms in office, said to laughter in the audience that he has "finally begun to understand the story of the calm and the rough seas.''

"One of the blessings of being the president is I get to see firsthand how people are motivated by the fundamental truths articulated by the Holy Father,'' Bush said today. "I've watched you live out the Gospel through countless acts of compassion and courage. I've joined with you in striving to heed the Scriptures' noble calling: to see God's image in all mankind, and to uphold the dignity of each human being on Earth.

"Together, over the nearly seven and a half years we've worked to uphold the dignity of human life,'' he said. "Over the last -- over the last years, my administration has put a stop to U.S. tax dollars funding foreign groups that perform or promote abortions. We've worked together to protect unborn victims of violence, and to end the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion.

"We have stood fast in our belief that promising medical advances can co-exist with ethical medical practices,'' the president said. " Last November, scientists discovered a way to reprogram adult skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. This is a significant breakthrough, because science -- scientists have found a path that can lead beyond the divisive debates of the past -- and extend the healing potential of medicine without destroying human life.

"Together, we've worked to strengthen America's lifelines of learning -- including our nation's Catholic schools. The Catholic Church has a proud educational tradition dating back centuries, and one of the Holy Father's priorities has been maintaining this tradition in the United States. Today, America's Catholic schools serve thousands of students -- both Catholic and non-Catholic -- in some of our nation's poorest neighborhoods. They help minority students narrow the achievement gap. They prepare children for lives of character and purpose and success. And yet these schools are closing at an alarming rate: nearly 1,200 Catholic schools have shut their doors since the year 2000.

"In my State of the Union address this January, I proposed a new $300 million program called Pell Grants for Kids. And the reason I did so is because I want to help low-income children in underperforming public schools be able to attend a private or parochial school of their choice.

"I am concerned about the loss of a major national asset, and that is the decline of Catholic schools, particularly in inner-city America. And to this end, next week we're having a White House Summit on Inner-City Children and Faith-Based Schools. And the purpose of the summit is to highlight the lack of educational options facing low-income urban students. And we're going to bring together educators and clergy and philanthropists and business leaders, all aiming to urge there to be reasonable legislation out of Congress and practical solutions to save these schools -- and more importantly, to save the children. ..

"Together, we've worked to foster a culture of tolerance and peace. We believe that religion should be a source of understanding and grace -- not a source of extremism and violence. On his visit and throughout his time as the Holy Father, the Pope has worked to foster inter-religious dialogue, and to heal the wounds of religious conflict. I strongly support the Pope's call for religious freedom around the world. I share his concern for Christians in the Middle East, and his desire to see a peaceful and independent Lebanon. I respect his scholarship, which demonstrates that faith and reason can co-exist.

"And I join him in praying for a world at peace, where Christians and Muslims and Jews, believers and non-believers, can live side by side. And I thank all of you here who work to make this hopeful vision a reality. Together, we've worked to bring comfort to troubled souls. We believe that where hearts are burdened by destitution and disease and despair, we must answer with hope and love and faith.

"We know that [no] government program can answer the call like our armies of compassion can -- but we also know that government programs can support, and must support, their work. And so I've been a strong believer in faith-based and community based effort to bring healing and hope to people who wonder whether or not there's a bright tomorrow.

"I don't know if you really realize this, but in 2006, 3,000 direct federal grants totaling more than $2 billion were made to faith-based organizations -- including many Catholic organizations. And the reason why is because Catholic organizations provide shelter to the homeless in very effective and loving ways. They tutor at-risk youth. They help children of prisoners, while at the same time they work tirelessly to help prisoners get back on their feet. These groups seek out our society's most vulnerable and fulfill Christ's promise that "the last shall be first...

"This is a prayer breakfast,'' he said. "I have finally begun to understand the story of the calm and the rough seas -- (the audience laughed) -- and I believe, I believe in my heart of hearts that it's because of the prayers of my fellow citizens. And today with the trust in the Lord's wisdom and goodness, I offer prayers of my own: for each gathered in the room, for the safety and success of the Holy Father's visit, and for God's continued blessings on our great land. Thank you.''