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BUSH PRAISES POPE'S 'PROFOUND IMPACT'

Saturday, April 9, 2005 Posted: 10:07 AM EDT (1407 GMT)

SPECIAL REPORT
1920~2005


WACO, Texas (AP) -- President Bush praised Pope John Paul II on Saturday for facing down totalitarianism throughout his life and showing communist rulers that "moral truth had legions of its own."

Just back from the pope's funeral Friday night, Bush paid his final respects to the late leader of the Roman Catholic Church in his weekly radio address.

He said the services that brought kings, presidents and pilgrims from across the globe to Rome was a "powerful and moving reminder of the profound impact this pope had on our world."

"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," the president said. "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."

As Bush seeks to spread democracy to other nations, he often talks of freedom as a gift from God. He said John Paul was committed to this ideal from his young life in 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," Bush said. "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."

Bush became the first sitting U.S. president to attend a papal funeral. During his flight back to the United States, he said the funeral touched him more than he expected and would be a highlight of his presidency.

"Today's ceremony, I bet you, for millions of people was a reaffirmation for many and a way to make sure doubts don't seep into your soul," he said.

Bush told reporters aboard Air Force One from Italy that he:


Will tell Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to stop construction on Jewish settlements in the West Bank. He and Sharon plan to meet Monday at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, near Waco.


Disagreed with former President Clinton's comment that the pope will have a "mixed legacy." John Paul will have a clear and excellent legacy of peace, compassion and "setting a clear moral tone," he said.


Isn't concerned about an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday that shows 54 percent of Americans don't like the job he's doing. "You can pretty much find out what you want in polls," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/09/bush.radio.ap/index.html

p.s. Out of respect for the 9 day mourning period of Pope John Paul II, please understand that this was not posted as a political statement of ANY kind, and I do not want to start any thing that may betray the prayerful and reflective mourning period we are in. President Bush is our current President and I thought that his statements and emotions about the Holy Father, John Paul II, of blessed memory, were praiseworthy. As an American citizen, and a Christian that often breathes with both lungs, they touched me greatly.

Yours in Christ,
Alice

His words of love for Pope JPII were so wonderful.

I sincerely doubt that there were many in attendence who did not leave affected or changed in some way.
Also, if he has not already, then his reflecting on the pope and the works he accomplished through prayer will begin to have a much greater impact on him and the work at hand. Bush is a man of prayer and maybe he will become more steeped in prayer as the years go by.

Pani Rose

Pani Rose, Inquiring minds wish to know.

On another website of mine there was a post to the effect that the designated 9 days of grieving were for the entire Church, however, I am wondering if this (designated)period of grieving is mainly for those at the Vatican as they prepare for the conclave.

Can you or someone who knows set me straight on that? Perhaps someone has a URL for me to read. of course, I do think a grieving period is good for all and good some will grieve longer than a designated nine days.

Thanks in advance,

In Christ and the Theotokos,


Mary Jo... gratefully for any help rendered.

Aloha Porters,

9 days is old Catholic tradition and it also practice in various Catholic countries Latin , Asia and some parts of Europe. They have mass but in the villages , if there is no priest... the would follow the prayer book and say a rosary...

Hey Mary Jo,

I think ultimately we have to wait for the answer grapes on the forum. I could not find the direct answer to your question. Maybe some of this will help anyway.

Pani Rose
~~~~~~~~
Instead of looking at John Pauls legacy, I would just like to explain what will happen over the next over the next few weeks. Following the death of a pontiff, there is usually nine days of official mourning, with the body being laid out in St. Peters in Rome. The Pope must be buried between 4 - 6 days after his death. His remains are then put in a coffin of cypress wood encased in a second coffin of lead and this is placed in a third outer coffin of elm. During this time of mourning the popes ring called the Fishermans ring, which bears the image of St. Peter casting a net, is broken. This symbolises the suspension of pontifical power until a new pope has been elected. All papal properties including the popes apartment in the Vatican and his summer residence in Castle Gandolfo are sealed.

In the days that follow the funeral mass, those Cardinals who are not already in Rome will made their way there to prepare for the Conclave which has the task of electing a new pope.
http://www.youth2000.ie/news.htm

Here a pretty good article on mourning period. Maybe this will help. But it acutally seems like it is on novenas, which I know EWTN is doing a novena for the pope.

http://www.catholicherald.com/saunders/04ws/ws040610.htm

Thats right its a novena.... remember there are many different kinds of novena and there is also for the dead. It is part of a tradition...I mean old Catholic tradition.

Thanks Randy for the confirmation.

Though it may seem confusing I think I was working on that post when you posted. Hence if my words seem a contradiction, I didn't mean them that way. It is jut the way the posts fell.

Thanks
Pani Rose

Here are some info regarding novenas... I hope it helps.....

http://prayers.viarosa.com/


http://www.prayerbook.com/Novenas/novenas.htm ( Novena to the Poor Soul in Purgatory )

Better Link on Novena....

http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/novenas.html

Hi Pani Rose and Randy,

Muchas gratias. Danke schoen. Thanks.

'Ask and ye shall receive' and I asked and have received.

Both of your answers are helpful and do satisfy my inquiry.

Bless the rest of your Sunday - both of you!

Porter (Mary Jo)

Mary Jo, all the Catholic churches in Knoxville have black bunting over the doorways, so I think the mourning period may be for the entire church. We are a long way from the Vatican.

This 9-day mourning for the death of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, is for the entire Church and it is called "novemdiales."

Amado