The Pope gifts the President with Vatican document on ...

...  bioethics and the right to life—the 2008 document Dignitas Personae. From the CNA report:

 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.”

Reuters reports:

The pope's private secretary later told reporters after the meeting: "This reading can help the president better understand the Church's position on these issues."

Obama told the pope during a picture-taking session after the private part of the audience: "We look forward to a very strong relationship between our two countries."

The pope told Obama, who is a Christian, "I pray for you."

 And from Holly Bailey of Newsweek:

 Your Gaggler did get to watch Obama introduce the pope to members of his inner circle, who looked collectively thrilled. Among those on hand: National Security Adviser Jim Jones, Deputy Chief of Staff Mona Sutphen, Senior Adviser David Axelrod, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and NSA adviser Denis McDonough. Upon meeting, Gibbs and McDonough kissed the pope’s hand—though other advisers, including Axelrod, who is Jewish, did not. Obama, Michelle and the aides posed for a group picture with the pontiff. For the record, McDonough, who confessed to reporters earlier this week that he was pretty excited about this event, looked the happiest we’ve ever seen him.

Some observers, I'm betting, will emphasize that since President Obama is not a Catholic, the gift of Dignitas Personae means little or nothing. That argument, however, is implicitly addressed in the opening of the document:

In presenting principles and moral evaluations regarding biomedical research on human life, the Catholic Church draws upon the light both of reason and of faith and seeks to set forth an integral vision of man and his vocation, capable of incorporating everything that is good in human activity, as well as in various cultural and religious traditions which not infrequently demonstrate a great reverence for life.

The Magisterium also seeks to offer a word of support and encouragement for the perspective on culture which considers science an invaluable service to the integral good of the life and dignity of every human being. The Church therefore views scientific research with hope and desires that many Christians will dedicate themselves to the progress of biomedicine and will bear witness to their faith in this field. She hopes moreover that the results of such research may also be made available in areas of the world that are poor and afflicted by disease, so that those who are most in need will receive humanitarian assistance. Finally, the Church seeks to draw near to every human being who is suffering, whether in body or in spirit, in order to bring not only comfort, but also light and hope. These give meaning to moments of sickness and to the experience of death, which indeed are part of human life and are present in the story of every person, opening that story to the mystery of the Resurrection. Truly, the gaze of the Church is full of trust because "Life will triumph: this is a sure hope for us. Yes, life will triumph because truth, goodness, joy and true progress are on the side of life. God, who loves life and gives it generously, is on the side of life".

The present Instruction is addressed to the Catholic faithful and to all who seek the truth. (par. 3; emphasis added)

Related IgnatiusInsight.com Columns, Essays, and Book Excerpts:

• Dignitas Personae: On the Originality of Every Human Person | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• "The Dignity of the Person Must Be Recognized..." | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• "Always More Than Is Seen": Benedict XVI on the Meaning of Man | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• The Case Against Abortion | An Interview with Dr. Francis Beckwith, author of Defending Life
• What Is "Legal"? On Abortion, Democracy, and Catholic Politicians | Fr. James V. Schall, S.J.
• The Illusion of Freedom Separated from Moral Virtue | Raymond L. Dennehy
• The Dignity of the Human Person: Pope John Paul II's Teaching on Divinization in the Trinitarian Encyclicals | Carl E. Olson
• What Is Catholic Social Teaching? | Mark Brumley
• Introduction to Three Approaches to Abortion | Peter Kreeft

Comments

[Catholic Femina]

The Holy Father gives the Gift of Solomon to Obama! Wisdom is the best gift the Pontiff could have bestowed on the President. I hope that this will be taken to heart by the President

[prez j of dame]

What, no honorary doctorate from a Pontifical University in recognition of his many accomplishments these past six months? What's the Church coming to? Quadrupling the national debt ought to be worth at least a doctorate in Economics.

[dim bulb]

No doubt the President will have Nancy and Douggo-ardent and devout Catholic that they are-interpret it for him.

[Chrystal K.]

I wonder if their were lengthy, meticulous efforts that went into the Pope's gift choices as well.

[Bender]

Chrystal -- My understanding is that Pope Benedict spent more than a year working on the Encyclical, same with the CDF on Dignitas Personae. So, yes, lengthy, meticulous efforts went into the gifts.

However -- it should not have been necessary for Pope Benedict to be so blunt and forthright about these teachings. As someone who considers himself so wise on so many things, Obama and those in his administration should already have knowledge about Catholic teachings -- especially if they are going to claim that their policies are consistent with Church teaching and that they have this enormous outreach to Catholics, and if Obama is going to accept honors from Catholic universities.

[Jack]

That was the diplomatic equivalent of a smack upside the head to Obama. Very blunt.

[Austin]

So have you heard that Kathleen Kennedy Townsend says Barack represents American Catholics better than the Pope? So according to her, Obama could tell the Holy Father a thing or two about how to run a religion.

[Dr John James]

In the Australian media, a televised item showed a convivial President and Pope, sitting opposite each other, surrounded by paparazzi , with the reporter stating that the the President had " promised the Pope to limit the numbers of abortions"
It's Saturday morning, Australian time, and I nearly choked on my cornflakes. I wondered whether the President had his hand behind his back with his fingers crossed, as I recall the recent controversy when a prominent member of his Administration "clarified" the Administration's position, stating that it wasn't so much the "number" of abortions the President was seeking to limit as the "need" for abortion.

[Dan Deeny]

Thank you for this interesting article. People write in and concentrate on Pres. Obama. What about Denis McDonough, a Catholic, and a graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville, MN? St. John's is also supplying our next ambassador, Dr. Miguel Diaz. Dr. Diaz is a supporter of Gov. Sebelius, yet another Catholic.
Let us pray for ourselves.

[Robert Miller]

Jack and Dan Deeny have captured the real flavor of the B16/BO parley.

BO is working overtime with his "Catholic" braintrust to "out" and spin a schism in the Church in the US. The Diaz (Rahner/liberationist) appointment -- as Dan Deeny suggests -- was intended as a diplomatic slap upside the head to B16. Bravo to B16 for "getting it" and smacking BO back, as Jack points out.

We need to get serious about how we are going to support our US bishops against BO's transparent effort to drive a wedge between Catholics and "Catholics" in the US.

In the early 1930s, German Catholic bishops and committed German Catholics were able to see through the initial AH "moderate" game, while the rest of Europe marveled at AH's sophisticated, articulate, diplomatic approach to the "social question" and the "economic crisis". In the end, the Holy Father heard the faithful Catholics and smuggled Mit Brennender Sorge into Germany. Then, from 1939 to 1945, Pope Pius XII did his best to mitigate the culture of death and to strengthen the brethren subject to AH's evil empire.

As I've said before, I think Pius11 would have met with AH in 1933 -- and probably exchanged pointedly meaningful gifts and words of hoped-for conciliation and collaboration. And the German media, no doubt, would have tried to spin it as a matter of more-sophisticated Italians appreciating better than German bishops AH's vision and global concerns. The difference is that AH never asked for such a meeting because he knew that he couldn't drive a wedge between German Catholics and their bishops.

BO thinks he can drive a wedge between Catholics in the US and their bishops. With his hand-kissing staff members and veiled female entourage, he is launching an ultramontane offensive against the Church in the US. He certainly is not failing on his promise to hope audaciously.

[Sandra Miesel]

I seem to recall that Pius XI went out of his way to avoid "the Norse pest" as he called AH.

Who seriously believes that Obama will read the encyclical, muchless be influenced by it?

[Dan Deeny]

You surprise me, Dr. Miesel. Of course our President will read this encyclical and will be influenced by it. Some reporter is going to ask him if he has read the encyclical. If he says no, he will look bad, and it is very important to look good. He will even quote from the encyclical and say that this or that is a good idea and that his administration is trying to implement the idea here in the U.S. and in developing countries. He will also have McDonough, Sebelius, and Diaz read the encyclical. He will also assume that Fr. Jenkins will read the encyclical and give him a ring and ask for his imput. He will ask for the opinions of the others in private, as if by chance, conversations. He will remember RFK's recommendation not to put things in writing.
Let us continue to pray for ourselves.

[Robert Miller]

Right again, Dan: Let us continue to pray for the Divine Mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Jack]

It's not hard to read between the lines of this visit.

Benedict clearly regards Obama as a bright, but terribly confused young man who needs major education in basic human rights. I'm sure he was briefed by his advisors just how virulent Obama's support for abortion, and infanticide, really is, including his attempt to prohibit a ban on partial birth abortion when he was a state senator.

It is now wonder Benedict told him that he would pray for him.

[Robert Miller]

Yes, I picked up on B16's promise to pray for BO, too.

I think your take is absolutely correct, Jack. Unfortunately, too many of our fellow-travelers are experiencing a big let-down because they don't understand Caritas in Veritate, and they don't want to read the subtext of the official transcript of the B16/BO parley.

[Sandra Miesel]

I do not hold and have not claimed to hold a doctorate in any subject. My cynicism about Obama is the result of simple observation. Carl nailed his Philosopher King pose perfectly in another post.

[Dan Deeny]

Ms. Miesel, I thought you were a college teacher with a doctorate in Medieval Studies.
If by "pose" you mean that our president is insincere, then I disagree with you. Jack has it right when he describes Pres. Obama as "bright but terribly confused." He has listened to the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright for twenty years and has studied at elite American universities. It's no wonder he's confused. His Catholic supporters don't have that excuse.
Two questions: Are you cynical about his Catholic supporters? Why or why not?

[Carl E. Olson]

You surprise me, Dr. Miesel. Of course our President will read this encyclical and will be influenced by it.

How can you know? I admire the desire to hope for the better angels of man's nature to come to the fore, but I'm going with Sandra on this one. If I had to bet, Obama won't read the encyclical, and if he's asked about it, I doubt he'll have any problem suggesting he did, in fact, read it. We'll likely never know.

If by "pose" you mean that our president is insincere, then I disagree with you. Jack has it right when he describes Pres. Obama as "bright but terribly confused."

Based on the man's public actions and comments, I'd say he is somewhat confused about certain matters, but that he is completely sincere in his insincerity. Obama continually employs straw men in attacking the positions of his opponents and misrepresents his own positions. And surely he must be bright, because while he's never shown much by way of true intellectual rigor and originality, he's managed to convince people he is an intellectual.

It's no wonder he's confused. His Catholic supporters don't have that excuse.

"So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools..." And St. Paul was not writing about Catholics.

[Robert Miller]

Very well said, Carl.

[Dan Deeny]

Carl, I didn't understand your quote from St. Paul. Who was he talking about? Are you saying that Biden, Sebelius, Diaz, Harkin, Kennedy, Dodd, and all the others are not Catholics?
And "he is sincere in his insincerity"? Our president has a clear record of support for a woman's right to choose an abortion at all times and for any reason. The Catholics who voted for him and who now work in his administration know this. He was cheered at Notre Dame. They drowned out the protesters. Your excellent article on Kennedy-Townsend is probably too optimistic about Catholics in our country.
Of course I can't know for certain, but judging by his ability to bring in Catholics, I'd say it is a very good bet he will read the encyclical. I'll bet he skimmed through it quickly on the flight to Ghana. Very soon, he'll reread it more carefully and mine it for ideas to advance his program.
You need to interview Daniel Ortega. I've learned from Joseph Meaney that Ortega has turned Nicaragua into a pro-life country! Find out why. Compare. Discuss the Catholics involved.