Rep. McCotter introduces resolution into House to welcome Pope Bendict in April

Rep. Thad McCotter (R. Mich.) has introduces a resolution this week which was referred to the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs "That the United States House of Representatives welcomes His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his first apostolic visit to the United States."

The press release:

On November 12, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican’s representative to the US, announced Pope Benedict XVI would visit the United States in April 2008. This is heartening news for our nation’s 65.7 million Catholics.

Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting our nation for five days from April 15-20, during which time he will celebrate his 81st birthday. The visit will be a whirlwind of activity for the Pope. During his time on US soil, His Holiness will make an official state visit to the White House, lead services for tens of thousands of worshippers, hold an inter-religious dialogue, address the United Nations, and visit Ground Zero.

Please join me as a cosponsor of H. Res. 838, which welcomes Pope Benedict XVI on his first visit to America.

Thaddeus G. McCotter, Member of Congress

I've uploaded the resolution in PDF format: popebenedictresolution.pdf. You can read the text online here. It provides a short list of Pope Benedict's accomplishments. Regarding his pontificate, it reads:

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has made repeated calls for peaceful resolutions to international conflicts, especially with respect to North Korea's nuclear ambitions;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has made reconciliation and peace an important goal of his Papacy on an ecumenical level reaching out to both Orthodox and Protestant Churches and in an inter-religious manner with Judaism and Islam;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has affirmed the dignity of the human person with respect to refugees, exiles, evacuees, and other migrant persons;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has written 25 books and given thousands of hours of lectures, making him one of the most prolific theologians in modern times;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has decried the imminent dangers terrorism and extremism pose to Western Civilization; and

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has identified the failed revolutions and violent ideologies of the 20th century as being the result of the `Dictatorship of Relativism' stating that `absolutizing what is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism'.

Not a bad CV, that.

You can track the bill's progress on GovTrack here. I'll provide an update if it gets scheduled for debate.