WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush, who will lead a US delegation to Pope John Paul II's funeral, praised the pontiff Monday as a moral force and man of peace and glossed over his strong opposition to the Iraq war.
"It is my great honor on behalf of our country to express our gratitude to the Almighty for such a man," Bush told reporters after talks here with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
"And of course we look forward to the majesty of celebrating such a significant human life."
Bush praised the pope, who died over the weekend after a long bout with infirmity, as someone who demonstrated "that one man can make a difference in peoples lives.
"He was courageous, he was a moral person, he was a godly person," said Bush, who will be accompanied by his wife Laura at the funeral set for Friday.
"His great legacies will be the influence he had on the young," the president said of John Paul II. "He spoke to the poor. He spoke morality."
Bush played down the pope's vocal opposition to the March 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which the pontiff called "a defeat for humanity," according to a former US envoy to the Vatican.
"Of course he was a man of peace and he didn't like war," Bush said. "And I fully understood that and I appreciated the conversations I had with the Holy Father on the subject."
Bush recalled his discussions with John Paul II on the balcony of the pope's residence at Castel Gondolfo, overlooking a scenic lake. "It was a moment I'll never forget during my presidency," the US leader said.
04/04/2005 16:48 GMT