Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput joined President Bush today in Washington for the second annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.
Bush was cheered at the event for urging people to “pray that America uses the gift of freedom to build a culture of life.”
The remark was a public reaffirmation of his position on such issues as abortion and stem cell research.
Bush recalled the legacy of the late Pope John Paul II and said, “The best way to honor this great champion of human freedom is to continue to build a culture of life where the strong protect the weak.”
Chaput spoke at the prayer breakfast, held at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
Bush won 52 percent of the Roman Catholic vote in last year’s election and got the support of 56 percent of white Catholics, defeating the first Catholic presidential candidate from a major party since John F. Kennedy.
In 2000, Bush narrowly lost the Catholic vote.
