Pope Benedict XVI came to the United States for the first time last Tuesday, April 15, and departed on Sunday. For many Americans, this was the first time they had a chance to hear Pope Benedict preach in their native language, and his reception was a warm one.
On Wednesday, Pope Benedict celebrated his 81st birthday at the White House. His Holiness praised America for its Declaration of Independence, which grounds rights in God's moral law, and for its Constitution, which allows all people the freedom to worship according to the "dictates of their conscience." Calling on faith and reason to affect public policy, His Holiness said, "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." read more...