President Reagan’s and Pope John Paul II Remarks at their Arrival in Alaska on May 2, 1984

Wow [Music] [Music] [Applause] you is [Music] [Music] Oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I want to welcome your holiness to the United States Oh [Music] the national anthem [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] well now I want to welcome your holiness to the United States and on behalf of the American people say how pleased and privileged we are to have you among us we're just returning from a mission of peace and I can think of no more fitting clothes to this journey than to be here in the presence of your holiness who has worked so diligently for recognition of the rights and dignity of the individual and for peace among nations I can assure you your holiness the American people seek to act as a force for peace in the world and to further the cause of human freedom and dignity indeed an appreciation for the unalienable rights of every human being at the very concept that gave birth to this nation few have understood better than our nation's founding fathers that claims of human dignity transcend the claims of any government and that this transcendent right itself has a transcendent source our Declaration of Independence four times acknowledges our country's dependence on a Supreme Being and its principal author and one of our greatest presidents Thomas Jefferson put it simply the God who gave us life gave us Liberty at the same time [Applause] but no one knows better than your holiness that the quest for human rights and world peace is a difficult often disheartening task in the face of turmoil and tragedy in our world we must always remember the central message of your own ministry that the quest for peace begins with each of us when I began this journey on Easter Sunday I asked the American people to join me in a prayer for peace a prayer that the nations of the world would renounce the agony of and heartbreak of war and learn to live in love with each other we must never underestimate such efforts far more can be accomplished by the simple prayers of good people than by all the statesmen and armies of the world [Applause] only when the fellowship of all men under the Fatherhood of God is recognized and acknowledged only then will the world finally know true peace and understanding to us Your Holiness the Holy See and your pastor it represents one of humanity's greatest moral and spiritual forces and your visit is particularly significant coming as it does soon after the re-establishment of relations between the Holy See and the United States for over a century we maintained warm and fruitful but informal relations now we have exchanged ambassadors and we hope to build on this new relationship to our mutual benefit and to the benefit of peace-loving people everywhere in a violent world your holiness you have been a minister of peace and love your words your prayers your example have made you for those who suffer oppression or the violence of war a source of Solace inspiration and hope for this historic ministry the American people are grateful to you and we wish you every encouragement in your journeys for peace and understanding in the world I also want to say how grateful I am for this opportunity to meet personally with you to discuss matters of vital concern to the Holy See and to the United States we deeply value your counsel and support and express our solidarity with you on behalf of the American people I welcome you and I extend to you our warmest greetings place to be Jesus Christ mr. president dear people of Alaska esteemed citizens of America it gives me great pleasure to visit Alaska once again and from this northern state to send a greeting of special warmth and affection to all the citizens of the United States of America as you know today I have begun a pastoral journey that will take me to Korea up where New Guinea the Solomon Islands and Thailand and I am delighted that this pilgrimage enables me to stop here in Fairbanks and to be among you I am deeply honored by the presence of President Reagan who himself is just returning from an important trip to China mr. president I thank you for your kind welcome on my arrival and I wish to reaffirm through you my friendship and the steam for all the citizens of your great nation [Applause] my thanks go as well to bishop Whelan for his much appreciated invitation to the Diocese of Fairbanks I also extend my good wishes to Bishop Canyon ski [Applause] and I pray that the Lord will grant him many joyful years of service to the church I would also offer a word of greeting to the colonel and bishops of the United States Episcopal conference who have shown their eternal union with me by coming here on this happy occasion when I arrived on my first visit to your beautiful state dear people of Alaska and it is beautiful you say I remember being welcomed by a lovely little child Maury Mary who reached out and handed me a bucket of forget-me-nots your state flower shortly afterwards that little girl was called home to her Heavenly Father but her loving gesture is not forgotten and her memory is held in Blessington I found in what she did at that time a living truth about the people of the vast Alaskan territory that in your toes and in your prayers you remember the poll today I'm here in person to give you the assurance that I have not forgotten you even when I am miles away I hold the people of Alaska and those of the whole of the United States close to me in my heart [Applause] I do not forget you for we are linked together by bounce of friendship of faith and of love in some ways Alaska can be considered today as a crossroads of the world President Reagan is returning from visiting the beloved people of China even as I am making my way to a neighboring area in the Far East the city of Fairbanks reminds us also of another direction for it is called the heart of the golden north [Music] [Applause] here in this bus stage 65 languages are spoken and peoples of many diverse backgrounds find a common home with the alloys Eskimos and Indians this wonderful diversity provides the context in which each person each family each ethnic group is challenged to live in harmony and conquer one with the other to achieve this aim requires a constant openness to each other on the part of each individual and group an openness of HA a readiness to accept differences and an ability to listen to each other's viewpoint without prejudice openness to others by its very nature exclude selfishness in any form it is expressed in a dialogue that is honest and frank one that is based on mutual respect openness to others begins in the heart as I stated at the beginning of this year in my message for the world they peace if men and women hope to transform society they must begin by changing their own hearts first only with a new heart can learn discover rediscover clear-sightedness and impartiality with freedom of spirit the sense of justice with respect to the rights of man the sense of equity with global solidarity between the rich and the poor mutual trust and fraternal love here in firmance you have the opportunity to rediscover such values and express them in your harmonious relationship with your neighbor which reflects the stupendous harmony of nature which pervades this region may God grant you the strength to express this harmony in your own lives in your relationships with others may he give you the courage to share generously and selflessly the blessings that you yourselves have received in abundance god bless america [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music]

Channel: Reagan Library

Views: 967,270

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Keywords: Ronald Reagan, Reagan Presidential Library, U. S. National Archives, Pope John Paul II, Fairbanks, Alaska, Nancy Reagan, AlItalia

Id: zkjiDZhIylU

Length: 30min 20sec (1820 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 02 2017