VATICAN, July 23, 2001 (LSN.ca) – President George Bush met today with Pope John Paul II at the pope's summer residence Castel Gandolfo. After their private discussions, lasting about 35 minutes, the Pope and the President made short public remarks.
Recognizing the struggle facing the president over the matter of stem cell research, the Pope stressed the gravity of the decision. The “area in which political and moral choices have the gravest consequences for the future of civilization concerns the most fundamental of human rights, the right to life itself,” said the Pope. The pope stressed that with stem cell research involving human embryos, those embryos are “destined to destruction in the process.” Abortion is accompanied by a “coarsening of consciences,” said the pope, which leads to acceptance of “related evils” such as euthanasia, infanticide, destructive experimentation with human embryos. He urged America to be an example to the world by rejecting “the assault on innocent human life in the womb” and “show the world the path to a truly humane future.”
In his public remarks to the pope, President Bush praised him with an altered rendition of the Prayer of St. Francis. “Where there is oppression, you speak of human rights. Where there is poverty, you speak of justice and hope.,” said Bush. “Above all,” said Bush, “you have carried the message of the Gospel into 126 nations, and into the Third Millennium, always with courage and confidence.”
See the full speech at: https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20010723_president-bush_en.html