Pope gives Obama 'unannounced' gift: Vatican document on right to life and bioethics

News Resources Tools Columns Documents ACI Group

Contenidos del sub-menu

Comments: 16

Vatican City, Jul 10, 2009 / 11:37 am (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI received President Barack Obama this afternoon in his private library, and after 36 minutes of private conversation, the pair emerged without providing any details about their topics of conversation. Nevertheless, the Holy See revealed that the Pope gave Obama an “unannounced gift”--a Vatican document on bioethics and the right to life.

"The G8 has been very productive, 20 billion dollars have been allocated [to poor countries]; that's something concrete," President Obama told the Pope when he asked about the summit, as photographers and journalists were ushered out of the Papal library.

The meeting between the Pope and the U.S. President started at 4:25 p.m. local time, after an unusually short meeting of ten minutes with the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

After the private conversation, and again in front of the cameras, President Obama gave the Pontiff a stole that was drapped upon the body of St. John Neumann from 1988 to 2007. The Pope instead presented the president with a mosaic portraying St. Peter's Square and the Vatican Basilica, and an autographed copy of his latest social encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.”

“I will have something to read on the plane,” President Obama joked after receiving the encyclical.

In addition to his family, Obama’s entourage included Kaye Wilson, General Jim Jones, Denis McDonough, Mona Sutphen, Robert Gibbs, David Axelrod, Julieta Valls (currently responsible for the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See), Alyssa Mastnaco Clay Beers, Melissa Winter, Joseph Clancy and interpreter Elisabeth Ullman. They all received commemorative medals and blessed Rosaries.

At the end of the meeting, the Pope said in English, "I pray for you and bless your work."

"I am very grateful, I hope we will have fruitful relationships," the President responded.

Despite the fact that the Vatican did not release an official statement about the nature of the meeting, the “unannounced” gift to Obama of the 2008 document "Dignitas Personae" on bioethics and the right to life, could be a signal of the nature of at least part of their conversation.

Comments: 16

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Rinda
UK 07/10/2009 09:06 PM EST

You attract more flies with honey than with vinegar... A master stroke, Holy Father! Let's pray President Obama will find the irresistable urge to read the God's Honest Truth about the dignity of life not just on the plane but sat at his desk in the Oval Office ... etc. Mr President, PLEASE don't let that precious document gather dust in the back of a drawer! Read it!!

Published by: steve j
cleveland ohio 07/10/2009 08:51 PM EST

Like the first writer said, the sky didn't fall and I didn't hear any thunder. Did Obama give a copy of the US Constitution to the Pope?

Published by: Catherine KENNEDY
Melbourne Australia 07/10/2009 07:27 PM EST

Pope Benedict the worlds most beloved Supreme Pontiff
What a MASTER STROKE, giving President Obama(PO)*
the Vatican document!
Game set and match to ourvery clever POPE!So many are chuffed by this!
Lets hope PO* reads this Vatican document many times over and that he PO* both reflects upon and further absorbs/ ingests the pro life / bioethics messages
contained within in the document and that PO* moves to a truly committed pro life position
Now the USA is trending pro life and
beyond that, pro life is the right way to go!
Life is a gift every life is unique, talented, special!
Human life is NOT just for the privileged, the planned, the perfect!

Lets hope PO* is aware of this and that he PO* follows suit by implementing suitable pro life policies that work to save the innocent, unborn lives and help both the mothers to be and the families involved!
The worlds future the next generation need all the help they can get from PO*
simple as that!
THANKS Holy father for CONSISTENTLY promoting the pro life message Think how many lives are saved because The one true faith leads the way in sending out the pro life position.
but there is MORE to be done!
so its up to PO* now the ball is in your court PO*
PO* you are here today alive and breathing because someone prudently protected your right to life so please afford others the preborn ,the same protection too!
everyone deserves a chance at life simple as that!

Published by: Sue Ann Douglas
Houston, TX 07/10/2009 07:10 PM EST

Thank you Pope Benedict! Your holiness and fatherly wisdom will surely help enlighten President Obama. We will pray for you both!

Published by: hmm
Boise, ID, USA 07/10/2009 06:15 PM EST

What a gift to us Catholic Americans! This meeting is so encouraging. President Obama needs our love, and if the Pope can do it...... I can do it too! :)

Published by: Margaret
Baltimore MD USA 07/10/2009 04:36 PM EST

May God bless Pope Benedict xvi. Way to go on giving President Obama the gift

Published by: Tony
Valley Stream 07/10/2009 03:53 PM EST

Rate: Good

The Pope met with Obama, the sky did not fall, and we hope only good comes from this meeting of two great men.

Published by: Bernadette Rocha
Seattle, WA, USA 07/10/2009 03:53 PM EST

Go Pope Benedict XVI!!! That was a brilliant move! I sincerely hope that President Obama reads Dignitas Personae. That was wonderful that everyone received the commemerative medals and blessed rosaries. A seed has been planted indeed and lets see what will grow of it.

Published by: PAUL A. NALTY
NEW ORLEANS, LA. USA 07/10/2009 02:35 PM EST

This might be like giving the "health care bill" to Barney Frank or Dodd and thinking he will read it! Never the less, it is an effort at teaching the "truth"
but I fear it will be received with
invinsible ignorance

Published by: diane smith
Northern California, USA 07/10/2009 01:51 PM EST

Hopefully, Obama's "Bio-Ethics Commission" will read "Dignitas Personae" in which the sanctity of the life God gives is to be protected and respected.

Especially important is that the members read its conclusions, if nothing else!

Of course "our leader" should be the first to read it. It might even change his anti-life agenda... if he's open to the discernments it offers.

We had to laugh at the hypocritical announcement to the Pope that the G8 awarded $20 billion to poor countries. Within that amount is "family planning" provisions.

Published by: diane smith
Northern California, USA 07/10/2009 01:36 PM EST

Hooray for Pope Benedict!

We hope the president, who accepts a
dictator's book will give MORE credence to
to God's Word.

Caritas in Veritate offers some compelling words. Hopefully Obama will read the message for him , esp. in Chapter 2, 29. (religious freedom), Chapter 3, #45. and in the conclusion, numbers 78 and 79.

While we don't want to be sanctimonious, we do see a direct correlation between that and what is happening to our America.

Published by: Theresia Lawrence
San Antonio, Texas USA 07/10/2009 01:34 PM EST

GOD BLESS OUR HOLY FATHER! THANK YOU, THANK YOU HOLY FATHER FOR YOUR SURPRISE GIFT!What a beautiful moment of grace! Our Holy Father radiates the love and mercy of Christ in the warmth of his smile, and our President too seems very happy to be at the side of the Vicar of Christ. Let us all pray that the Light of the Holy Spirit will penetrate the darkness that blinds our nation's governmental choices against life and the true dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God - created for the God who uniquely cherishes us all, and points the way that will bring us the deepest truest meaning and happiness.

Published by: Meghann
New York 07/10/2009 01:26 PM EST

Rate: Very Good

It's the anti-Christ with the Pope. This is irony at it's finest. Telling someone who is ok with women leaving their babies in closets to die, to change his mind.. yea right.. the man is all about the destruction of the innocent and rise of evil. To joke about something like pro-life bioethics as something 'he can read on a plane' is disgusting. He has no allegiance to Catholics and it embarrasses me to the nth degree that he's the POTUS. He's not a Christian and it's point blank obvious he wants to make sure that his own agenda is met. It was nice to live in this world... until 2001.

Published by: Francis Xavier T
Washington, D.C. 07/10/2009 12:58 PM EST

BRAVO TO HOLY FATHER PAPA BENEDICT XVI!!!!!!! I hope our Pope open the blind eyes of President Obama and let him know about the "RIGHT TO LIFE."

Published by: dAVID LARSEN
scituate Mass. USA 07/10/2009 12:29 PM EST

The Pope is a Class act. He is a confirmed gentleman and a great theologian. President Obama was exceptionally lucky to meet Him. I am sure that the Pope got his points across with the usual friendly persuasion. We can truly pray for the President. I still think Obama should convert and become a Catholic. The problem with his presidency is a matter of philosophy. He needs to be grounded in a firm and meaningful solid faith in God. Abraham Lincoln had Faith and the is what made him so great. Obama could command a great place in history if he is a firmly grounded Catholic. He than would have a greater capacity for actions to promote true justice and mercy. He would not be so much of a president influenced by political agendas.

Published by: gerry boos
Branchville,nj,usa 07/10/2009 12:15 PM EST

May God bless Benedictxvi....& may this meeting be spiritually beneficial for Pres., Mrs. Obama & their entourage!

ADD A COMMENT (Your e-mail will NOT be published):


NAME:
CITY/STATE/COUNTRY:
EMAIL:
COMMENT:

PLEASE ENTER THE SECURITY CODE DISPLAYED ABOVE:
Chars:

* Thanks for your comments. The number of messages that can be online is limited. Length should not exceed 1500 characters. CNA reserves the right to edit messages for content and tone. Comments and opinions expressed by users do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of CNA. CNA will not publish comments with abusive language, insults or links to other pages.

ADVERTISING
CNA does not necessarily endorse these advertisers. Please proceed with discretion. If you feel that a website announced has inappropriate or offensive content, please send it by e-mail to catholicna@catholicna.com