A Battle Hymn and the Pope

Pope Benedict XVI was welcomed to the White House today, his 81st birthday, to the U.S. Army Chorus' rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Published in 1862 during the American Civil War as an uplifting anthem of the U.S. armies by anti-slavery advocate Julia W. Howe, it contains images of God's truth advancing via the power of the instruments of war.

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
His truth is marching on.

I'm sure the symbolism of the day was intended to convey the willingness of the U.S. to spend it's blood and treasure in promoting the freedom of others, both domestically (as in our Civil War) and abroad (World War II comes to mind).

But I wonder if anyone in the White House actually read the Pope's address at the University of Regensburg in 2006. He argued that violence "is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the (human) soul." He believes that reason, properly conceived, is the basis of being "capable of that genuine dialogue of cultures and religions so urgently needed today." (In all fairness, President Bush, or his speech writer, did show some knowledge of the Pope's writings, e.g. "dictatorship of relativism.")

The apostle Paul declares that the state with its power of the sword serves God as his minister of justice and even vengeance (Romans 13). There are times, under just war theory, where violence is required to prevent evil's free reign. It seems good people can disagree on when the sword should be flashed. I wonder what the Pontiff would say of WWII and of pastor/theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer's participation on a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

Yet, on his birthday, the Pope was treated to the message, "God's truth advances through the sword" by the world's greatest earthly power, while his own message is "Not so; God's truth advances through reason."

Pope Benedict referred to the American quest for, and the price paid in the pursuit of, freedom and reason.

All believers have found here the freedom to worship God in accordance with the dictates of their conscience, while at the same time being accepted as part of a commonwealth in which each individual and group can make its voice heard. As the nation faces increasingly complex political and ethical issues of our time, I'm 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 dialogue in the effort to build a more human and free society.

Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience -- almost every town in this country has its monuments honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good, and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one's deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate.

I don't know if he was offended. But he didn't embrace the violence of the hymn, referring specifically to the "spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland and in Eastern Europe," an essentially bloodless revolution.

UPDATE (Apr 22): Not only was the Pope not offended by the Battle Hymn, the Vatican suggested it, according to an article by William McGurn ("The Pope and the President," April 22, 2008, Wall Street Journal, A23). So I got it wrong. Now to figure out how.

For today's speeches by Bush and Benedict, see President Bush Welcomes His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to White House