Pope Benedict XVI defended the role of religion in politics during a historic visit to the White House on Wednesday morning, then later harshly chastised America’s Roman Catholic leaders over how they handled their notorious child sex abuse problem.
Speaking at a service attended by hundreds of American bishops held at the national basilica near Catholic University the pope said, “Responding to this situation has not been easy and … it was sometimes very badly handled.”
Benedict placed the church’s pedophilia scandal in the broader context of a sexually permissive American society. “What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?” he asked.
Earlier, the pope celebrated his 81st birthday with President Bush and thousands of well-wishers on the sun-drenched South Lawn of the White House.
A crowd of about 13,500 serenaded the pontiff with a pair of slightly off-key renditions of “Happy Birthday.” The pope beamed with delight, even as he addressed two hot-button issues such as abortion and cloning.
“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,” said the German-born pope in accented English.
Although the Vatican disagreed with Bush’s decision to invade Iraq, the pope and president agreed that religious belief should inform public policy.
“Here in America you’ll find a nation that welcomes the role of faith in the public square,” said Bush, who joined the pope on a stage draped in red, white and blue bunting. “When our founders declared our nation’s independence, they rested their case on an appeal to the ‘laws of nature, and of nature’s God.’ ”
Benedict, who spoke after Bush, cited the same phrase from the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson. The pope added: “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.”
It was only the second time a pope has visited the White House, the first being in 1979. Mindful of the historic significance, guests waited in long lines to enter the White House grounds, where they made up the largest South Lawn crowd of the Bush presidency.
Under a cloudless sky, the president, dressed in a black suit, greeted the pope, who wore white robes, a white skullcap and red shoes. The two sat in chairs on the stage to revel in an unusually elaborate display of pageantry, even by White House standards.
There was a 21-gun salute, a marching fife and drum corps (complete with white wigs and tricorner caps), and a powerful rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer” by soprano Kathleen Battle. There was a choir singing the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” while onlookers kept time by waving small American and Vatican flags.
There were shouts of “Viva el Papa!” There were flocks of cardinals and troops of scouts of both sexes. One usher deftly caught a faltering Girl Scout before she fainted in the warm spring sunshine. A young boy clutched a hand-painted sign that said, “Ich heisse Joseph auch,” which is German for “My name is Joseph, too,” a reference to the pope’s birth name.
Afterward, Bush led the pope up the curving stairs of the South Portico to a balcony rimmed with enormous yellow tulips. The two leaders waved to the adoring crowd in a scene reminiscent of the pope’s frequent appearances at his window overlooking St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Benedict and Bush then disappeared into the Blue Room to sample a chocolate birthday cake and socialize before adjourning to the Oval Office for more serious talks on policy issues. The president used the pope’s visit to highlight their shared opposition to abortion and terrorism.
Before leaving the crowd, Benedict offered a prayer “that Almighty God will confirm this nation and its people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God bless America.”
