Jeb Bush says Pope is reminder of need for 'religious freedom' in coded attack on Obama
- Presidential candidate says faith has 'grounded,' comforted him - but hits at Obama administration by insisting on the need for religious freedom in US
- Bush calls religious freedom 'a freedom that too many in our government have lost sight of in recent years'
- Bush also praises Pope Francis as he visits US for first time Tuesday to Thursday
- Former governor said he converted to Catholicism after his first failed run for public office in 1994 and has now raised his children in the faith
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush used a national op-ed column Tuesday to praise Pope Francis on the morning of his arrival in Washington for a two-day visit, declaring that Catholicism has grounded him personally in his life.
But the former Florida governor also took the opportunity to swipe at the Obama administration by insisting on 'religious freedom' in the U.S. - a veiled reference to criticism that the federal government has pushed for controversial social changes too quickly and forcefully.
Bush's op-ed on CNN.com came just hours before Francis is due to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington in the afternoon from Cuba, on his first-ever visit to American soil.
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Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, pictured here at an event Monday in Mason City, Iowa, was once the front-runner in the Republican race for the 2016 presidential nomination, but has now fallen to third or even fourth-place in some polls
Bush met his Mexican wife, Columba, in 1970 when he was teaching English during a student exchange program in Leon, Mexico. The two were married in 1974
'Catholicism has grounded my own life,' Bush wrote in his column.
'In Catholic teachings, the family is a "domestic church," and the Catholic faithful are a kind of extended family. The Catholic Church has always bound my own family together.
'Even before my own conversion, we attended Mass together, sharing as a family the message of hope and love, praying for peace and grace.
'My wife was raised in the Catholic faith, we were married in a Catholic student center, and we in turn raised our children as Catholics.'
Bush's swipe at Obama came in the form of a two-paragraph statement in the middle of the column, referring indirectly to controversies over abortion, gay marriage, and other social changes that some say President Obama has pushed for too quickly.
One of the highest-profile examples came this month, when a rural Kentucky county clerk, Kim Davis, was jailed by a judge for five days for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses even though the U.S. Supreme Court has declared them unconstitutional.
Davis had insisted the marriages were an affront to her Christian faith. She has been freed since her deputies have been allowed to issue the licenses instead.
As Florida's first lady from 1999 to 2007, Columba Bush promoted greater protections for victims of domestic violence, and has visited women's shelters in states where her husband is campaigning for president this year
Pope Francis's first-ever US visit this week has raised questions about whether the pontiff will address social issues, either in his private Oval Office meeting with President Obama on Wednesday or in his speech to Congress on Thursday
Controversy has even surrounded the list of invitees to Francis's welcoming ceremony Wednesday morning on the White House South Lawn, after the administration invited high-profile social activists such as a pro-choice nun, a transgender activist and a gay bishop.
'The church that Francis leads never tires of proclaiming the dignity of all people - a truth that is also at the heart of our form of government that pledges liberty and justice for all,' Bush wrote.
'It underlies the first freedom in our Constitution, the freedom of religion, a freedom that too many in our government have lost sight of in recent years.
'I hope Pope Francis' visit to the United States is a powerful reminder that in a country as great and diverse as ours, we can protect religious freedom and the right of conscience while respecting those with opposing views.'
Bush was raised in the Episcopalian faith in East Texas, but said he converted to Catholicism after his failed first run for public office - governor of Florida - in 1994.
Bush said he 'took stock of my life and my beliefs, and I decided to fully embrace the faith that had been guiding my family and me for many years.'
He said he attended initiation classes and studied Catholic doctrine before making the change.
'The more I learned, the more I appreciated the rich history of the church and its teachings, and my heart was changed by God's hand,' he wrote.
'In the 20 years since my conversion, the church has given me the faith and hope to cope with life's many challenges.'
Bush is not expected to attend Francis's events in Washington, which will include a private Oval Office meeting with Obama on Wednesday and a joint address to Congress on Thursday.
The pontiff then travels to New York City and Philadelphia before returning to Rome on Sunday.
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