Pope Benedict XVI has sent his best wishes to Barack Obama on his re-election as president of the United States, while also highlighting the president's "serious responsibilities" and the nation's "ideals of freedom and justice."
In a message, conveyed through the apostolic nunciature in Washington, the Pope "expresses his best wishes to the president on his new mandate and gives assurances of his prayers to God to help him carry out his serious responsibilities, both in his own country and within the international community," a Vatican statement reads.
"The Pope also speaks of his hope that the ideals of freedom and justice, which guided the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, may continue to shine out as the nation progresses," it continues.
The same statement also contains comments on the election results made by the Holy See Press Office's director, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, in response to questions from reporters:
"As we all know, the U.S. president has an immense responsibility, not only in his own country, but also towards the rest of the world, given the role the U.S.A. plays at an international level," Father Lombardi said.
"For this reason, we hope that President Obama, reconfirmed in his duties today by the elections just completed, will respond to his fellow citizens' expectations, serving law and justice for the good and development of all people and respecting essential human and spiritual values while promoting a culture of life and religious freedom — always so precious in the tradition of the American people and its culture — so that it can find the best ways to promote the material and spiritual welfare of all; so that it can effectively promote integral human development, justice and peace in the world."
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The Pope also speaks of his hope that the ideals of freedom and justice, which guided the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, may continue to shine out as the nation progresses,”
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I’m hoping, too, but my guess is that those ideals are going to shine a bit less brightly in Washington over the next 4 years.
We have lots of work ahead.I wish God fearing folk would quit bickering & pull together for once.
All we can do now is pray…and remember that many saints endured far worse political conditions. This country may turn away from God, but God will not turn away from us.
I used to be proud of this country…but perhaps my faith should be firmly rooted in God alone.
This official statement smacks of diplomacy and “going along to get along.” This attitude is precisely why our church is in trouble and the scourge of living under the worst pro-abortion president continues. Is the Holy Father aware that the Catholic Church in the USA has a lawsuit against Obama for violating our religious freedom? If he understood the depth of the problem here, he wouldn’t be blessing Obama’s dictatorship of us. I wonder if this official statement was written by some socialist-minded lackey on the pope’s behalf.
No doubt, the last paragraph of this statement was written by a secular humanist. It is the fact that our Founding Fathers declared us to be one Nation, under God, that enables us to be indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all as we live our lives according to God’s expectations.
I agree with That Hat Lady. It seems disingenuous at best, to congratulate the most pro-death u.s. president in history. And to congratulate him for winning the post away from the more prolife candidate??? Makes absolutely no sense to me…
Ditto for the Hat Lady. I am not Catholic….yet. Just an evangelical Christian but hope to become Catholic one day. I have believed in the guidance of Pope Benedict and in his fundamental views of life in Christ. His message to BHB could have been more “yes, you’ve won; but you remain one step from hades due to your fervent pro-murder belief in abortion anywhere, anytime and in your belief in and promotion of same-sex marriage. We will pray for your conversion.”
It has been my belief that a revival of truth is occurring in the Catholic Church which will bring many Evangelicals to the “fullness of truth,” however, with this message from the POpeI am beginning to wonder if the CHurch is heading back towards the abyss. I sincerely hope not. WIth hope and prayer I respectfully submit my comment.
With the Billions of Dollars the Church as spent to cover and protect
the clergy from the lawsuits for molesting our children and stealing
monies from the church which the poor people give to the church to
evangelize the people is used to pay for escort service; want to tell
us how to vote.
It must have been a humiliation to Obama that the Holy Father had to remind him about the Constitution of his own Nation. Calling on him to be Patriotic to his own Country. The Holy Father’s wording, must always be done with enormous caution, because many always misinterpret or deliberatly attempt to misinterpret what the Popes say. A priest told me about this caution the Pope must take. Still many take his words out of context, to make it mean what they want it to mean. I remember in the 80’s the liberals always had the attitude, “That is what the Pope said, but this is what he really meant”, then they took what the Pope said and completley distorted it. An example are the words of Bl. John XXlll about opening the windows of the Church to let the fresh air in. Liberals declared that what he meant was the comlete destruction of the Church and creating a whole new different Church. Bl. John XXlll when calling for the windows of the Church to be opened. He meant for the fresh air of heaven to come in, for Catholics to renew and revive their Catholic faith and be more faithful to God.
Criticism of the Holy Father’s actions shows how many Catholics in the USA have lost their faith and are (insert political leaning here) first and Catholic second.
This is happening far too often where American Catholics are gung-ho ‘support our priests and the Pope and the follow the Magesterium’ EXCEPT when our faith and its tenants is in contradiction to their political views on matters such as immigration, health care, poverty, etc, even gun-control. That last one is a case in point were Louisiana Bishops spoke out in opposition to the law signed by Governor Jindahl permitting concealed weapons in houses of worship. Then there is Archbishop Dolan’s invitation to the president for the Al Smith dinner. Finally look at all the comments condemning Dorothy Day as a socialist and communist. Equally bad are those Catholics who oppose the Bishop’s stances on same-sex marriage and the contraceptive mandate.
Think—are you a Republic or a Democrat first—or a Catholic first?
@Defender: The Magesterium’s perspective on immigration, healthcare, poverty and gun control are not conditions of salvation we are required to follow. I follow biblical positions above those put forth by men. To follow your logic, no doubt you agree with the church’s view that hiding abusive priests was a correct policy.
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