President, first lady to attend pope's funeral

In matters of life, the two men often agreed. In matters of death, their views sharply collided. But differences aside, [Laura Bush]'s decision to lead the U.S. delegation to the papal funeral Friday underscores the significant impact the Vatican has had on the White House and illustrates how d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inKnight Ridder Tribune News Service p. 1
Main Author Jeff Zeleny and Mark Silva
Format Newsletter
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Tribune Content Agency LLC 04.04.2005
Subjects
Bush, Laura
John Paul II (Pope)
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Summary:In matters of life, the two men often agreed. In matters of death, their views sharply collided. But differences aside, [Laura Bush]'s decision to lead the U.S. delegation to the papal funeral Friday underscores the significant impact the Vatican has had on the White House and illustrates how diverging religious beliefs can join for a common goal. [John Paul II] became the first pope to visit the White House when Jimmy Carter played host in 1979. The next year, Carter visited the Vatican. Ronald Reagan met with the pope four times, George H.W. Bush visited the pope twice, and Bill Clinton had four face-to-face meetings with him. When Bush was governor of Texas, presiding over more executions than any other governor, the pope frequently asked him to spare the life of convicts, including Karla Faye Tucker. The 1998 case drew international attention after Bush "sought guidance through prayer" but declined to intervene and she was the first woman executed since the Civil War.