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

Wow, you're Oh, I want to welcome your holiness to the United States. Oh, the national anthem, 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. I have just returned from a peace mission and I cannot think of more appropriate clothing for this trip than to be here in the presence of His Holiness, who has worked so diligently for the recognition of the rights and dignity of the individual and for peace between nations. , I can assure Your Holiness that the American people seek to act as a force for peace in the world and advance the cause of human freedom and dignity, indeed, an appreciation for the inalienable rights of every human being in the same concept which gave rise to In this nation, few have understood better than our nation's founding fathers that the 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 recognizes our country's dependence on a Supreme Being and its primary author. and one of our greatest

president

s, Thomas Jefferson, put it simply: the God who gave us life gave us freedom at the same time, but no one knows better than His Holiness that the pursuit of human rights and world peace is a difficult and often discouraging task. In the midst of turmoil and tragedy in our world, we must always remember the central message of his own ministry that the pursuit of peace begins with each of us. As I began this journey on Easter Sunday, I asked the American people to join me in a prayer for peace.

Prayer for the nations of the world to renounce the agony and anguish of war and learn to live in love with one another. We should never underestimate such efforts. Much more can be accomplished by the simple prayers of good people than by all the statesmen and armies. of the world only when the communion of all men under the Fatherhood of God is recognized and admitted only then will the world finally know true peace and understanding for us His Holiness the Holy See and its pastor represents one of the greatest moral and spiritual forces of humanity and his visit is particularly significant because it occurred shortly after the reestablishment of relations between the Holy See and the United States.

For more than a century we maintained warm and fruitful but informal relations, now we have exchanged ambassadors and hope to build on them. new relationship for our mutual benefit and for 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, you have done it for those who suffer oppression or the violence of war. source of comfort, inspiration and hope for this historic ministry, the American people are grateful to him and we wish him every encouragement in his journeys for peace and understanding in the world.

I also want to express how grateful I am for this opportunity to meet personally with you to discuss matters of vital importance to the Holy See and the United States. We deeply value your advice and support and we express our solidarity with you on behalf of the American people. I welcome you and extend our warmest regards. Place to be Jesus. Christ Mr.

president

, dear people of Alaska, dear 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 journey pastoral journey that will take me to Korea, as far as New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Thailand, and I am delighted that this pilgrimage will allow me to stop here in Fairbanks and be among you.

I am deeply honored by the presence of President Reagan, who is himself. I have just returned from an important trip to China Mr. President, I thank you for your kind welcome upon my

arrival

and I wish to reaffirm through you my friendship and encouragement for all the citizens of your great nation. My thanks also to Bishop Whelan for his much appreciated invitation to the Diocese of Fairbanks. I also extend my good wishes to Bishop Canyon Ski and ask that the Lord grant him many years of joyful service to the church. I also offer a word of greeting to the colonel and the bishops of the United States bishops' conference who have demonstrated

their

eternal union with me by coming here on this happy occasion when I arrived on my first visit to your beautiful state, beloved people of Alaska , and it is beautiful, they say.

I remember being greeted by a lovely girl, Maury Mary, who came up and handed me a bucket. of forget-me-nots, your state flower, shortly after that little girl was called home to her Heavenly Father, but her loving gesture is not forgotten and her memory is preserved in Blessington. I found in what she did at that moment a living truth about people. of the vast territory of Alaska that in your toes and in your prayers you remember today's survey I am here in person to assure you that I have not forgotten you even when I am miles away.

I hold the people of Alaska and those across the United States close to me in my heart. I do not forget them because we are united by a rebound of friendship, faith and love. In some ways, Alaska can be seen today as a crossroads of the world from which President Reagan returns. Visiting the beloved town of China, even as I head to a neighboring area in the Far East, the city of Fairbanks also reminds us of another direction, as it is called the heart of the golden north. Here at this stage by bus, 65 languages ​​are spoken. and peoples of very diverse origins find a common home with the alloys of 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 another to achieve this goal requires constant effort. mutual openness on the part of each individual and group openness of HA willingness to accept differences and ability to listen to each other's point of view without prejudice openness towards others by its very nature excludes selfishness in any form expressed in a dialogue that be honest and frank, based on mutual respect, openness towards others begins in the heart, as I said earlier this year in my message to the world, peace, if men and women hope to transform society, they must start by changing your own heart first only with a new heart can you learn to discover rediscover lucidity and impartiality with freedom of spirit the sense of justice with respect to human rights the sense of equity with global solidarity among the rich and poor mutual trust and brotherly love here in the firman 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 that permeates 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 generously and selflessly share the blessings that you yourselves have received in abundance God bless America Oh