Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Religion & Law Blogs -> Religion Clause

Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

President Signs National Day of Prayer Proclamation

By Howard M. Friedman

Today President Obama signed a Proclamation (full text) declaring May 7, 2009 as a National Day of Prayer, as required by Public Law 100-307 (36 USC Sec. 119). The Proclamation reads in part:

Throughout our Nation's history, Americans have come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer.... It is in that spirit of unity and reflection that we once again designate the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer.

The White House released a photo of the President signing the Proclamation, with Joshua DuBois, Director of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, looking on.

At Tuesday's White House Press Briefing (full text), this exchange between reporters and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs took place:

Q: Robert, can I ask about Thursday? The National Day of Prayer -- the President, as I understand it, is going to sign a proclamation but there's not going to be a public ceremony, as the Bush administration did. Why the difference in approach? Does the President have a different feeling about this event than his predecessor?

MR. GIBBS: No, I mentioned, I think when I was asked about this last week, that prayer is something that the President does every day. I think, given some of the issues that you all have denoted today, it might be a healthy thing. But we're doing a proclamation, which I know that many administrations in the past have done.

Q: The previous administration had a ceremony with prayers and speeches and such. Does he think -- the current President think that that was politicized in some fashion?

MR. GIBBS: No, I'm not going to get into that. Again, I think the President understands, in his own life and in his family's life, the role that prayer plays. And I would denote that administrations prior to the past one did proclamations. That's the way the President will publicly observe National Prayer Day. But as I said, privately he'll pray as he does every day.

Q: Is he going to pray at the church that he calls his own?

MR. GIBBS: I'm sorry --

Q: Will he soon pray in a church that he calls his own?

MR. GIBBS: He may. Amen. (Laughter.)

[See prior related posting.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on May 07, 2009 (boomark / email).