President Bush has welcomed Pope Benedict on his first papal visit to the United States during a joyous ceremony on the White House lawn. Mr. Bush told the pope that in a time of terrorism and hate, Americans need his message that God is love.
Under a picture-perfect blue sky, thousands of people, including U.S. dignitaries, nuns and priests greeted Pope Benedict as he began the first full day of his trip to the United States.
President Bush told the pope that in America he will find a people of prayer and compassion and a nation that believes in religious liberty.
布什总统对教皇说,在美国,教皇将发现美国人民经常祈祷,富有同情心,这个民族信仰宗教自由。
Mr. Bush said the pope's message of hope and love is especially important in a world facing violence and terrorism.
布什说,教皇有关希望和仁爱的教导在一个面临暴力和恐怖主义的世界里特别重要。
"In a world where some invoke the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and hate, we need your message that God is love," Mr. Bush said. "And embracing this love is the surest way to save men from falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism."
President Bush and Pope Benedict differ on issues such as the Iraq war and capital punishment and neither leader spoke about them in their public remarks.
布什总统和教皇本笃在伊拉克战争和死刑问题上观点不一。两位领导人在公开讲话时都没有提到这些问题。
Mr. Bush did, however, allude to his and the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion.
但是,布什还是间接提到他和罗马天主教反对堕胎。
"In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred and that each of us is willed, each of us is loved," the president said.
Pope Benedict said he has come to the United States as a friend and preacher of the Gospel who has great respect for what he called this "vast, pluralistic society."
教皇本笃说,他作为美国的朋友和传播福音的人来到美国。他说,他很尊重这个“辽阔多元的社会”。
The pontiff noted that America has been generous in helping to meet the world's humanitarian needs, and said diplomacy is the solution to solving disagreements.
教皇指出,美国很慷慨地帮助实现世界人道主义需求。教皇还说,外交是解决分歧的办法。
"I am confident that this concern for the greater human family will continue to find expression in support for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress," he said.
The pope was full of praise for American society and made references in his speech to the founding fathers, citing the 1776 Declaration of Independence and the first president, George Washington.
Benedict said from the beginning America's noble principles governing political and social life have been linked to God.
教皇本笃说,从一开始,美国管理政治和社会生活的崇高原则是与上帝分不开的。
"As the nation faces increasingly complex political and ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible and respectful dialog in the effort to build a more humane and free society," he said.