Obama Weighs In on New Saint
By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
I don't believe American presidents are in the habit of releasing statements on the Roman Catholic Church's canonizations, but Barack Obama has just released one on Pope Benedict XVI's scheduled canonization of Damien de Veuster Sunday. (Canonization is the process through which the church declares someone a saint.) Obama and Father Damien share a Hawaii connection.
Some background on the priest from Catholic Online:
He was born Joseph and received the name Damien in religious life. In 1864, he was sent to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was ordained. For the next nine years he worked in missions on the big island, Hawaii. In 1873, he went to the leper colony on Molokai, after volunteering for the assignment. Damien cared for lepers of all ages, but was particularly concerned about the children segregated in the colony. He announced he was a leper in 1885 and continued to build hospitals, clinics, and churches, and some six hundred coffins. He died on April 15, on Molokai.... Pope John Paul II declared him beatified on June 4, 1995.
Here's President Obama's statement:
I wish to express my deep admiration for the life of Blessed Damien de Veuster, who will be canonized on Sunday by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. I also want to convey my best wishes to the Kingdom of Belgium and its people, who are proud to count Fr. Damien among their great citizens.
Fr. Damien has also earned a special place in the hearts of Hawaiians. I recall many stories from my youth about his tireless work there to care for those suffering from leprosy who had been cast out. Following in the steps of Jesus' ministry to the lepers, Fr. Damien challenged the stigmatizing effects of disease, giving voice to the voiceless and ultimately sacrificing his own life to bring dignity to so many.
In our own time as millions around the world suffer from disease, especially the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, we should draw on the example of Fr. Damien's resolve in answering the urgent call to heal and care for the sick.
I offer my prayers as people of all faiths join the Holy Father and millions of Catholics around the world in celebrating Fr. Damien's extraordinary life and witness.
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Tags: Barack Obama | religion | Catholicism
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Reader Comments
All religious lefties
have now gone into unabated delight that our president has again gestured toward them. Finding meaning where none exists - Gilgoff, you've done it again!
(Sarcasm alert, libs): And of course, as a conservative, I want sick people to suffer and die horrible deaths because I don't want the gov.t to run health care!!
Father Damien was inspired by God's love and his love FOR GOD, NOT GOVERNMENT, to sacrifice his life for others. I wish Obama could begin to understand that. Government is NOT the answer to the world's problems...they are the CAUSE of any and all problems!!
Only by God's Love and being inspired by HIM will we find solutions AS INDIVIDUALS - just like Father Damien.
answer to Mike, evangelization
You missed the first urging of the Catholic church and Jesus Christi himself. Marriage is sacramental. Sexual intercourse is for the sacrament of marriage. If we would obey that first law and teach our children that, this wouldn't happen. No one is perfect, but if a pregnancy occurs because you had sex outside of marriage, that doesn't mean a child should die. And, poverty is relative. A lot of "poor" people find money for things they don't need but think they have to get because of our materialistic culture. I can't believe with all of the welfare money and college grant money, day care assistance etc... that a woman who wants to better herself can't. Don't use any of that as an excuse to deny another human being the right to live.
you study financial policies of churches?
I don't see why it is wrong that the USA is "still" a Catholic missionary field. All Christians are called to spread the faith to the whole world-- wherever people are. Of course Catholics want everyone to be Catholic. They think Catholicism is the truth! They wouldn't be Catholic if they didn't think so!
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