In 1995, Jeb Bush,the former Florida governor and the younger brother offormer president, George W. Bush, converted to the Faith from the Episcopal Church, and has been a steadfast and public defender of the Faith ever since. Because of he and his brother are very close, and the former president’s close relationship with many Catholic lay and clerical leaders, as well as his clear defense of life and marriage, many have suggested the possibility that he may become the next high-profile American public figure to convert (see Newt Gingrich). But it’s not likely.
At Communion and Liberation’s annual Rimini Meeting last week, Jeb Bush said his brother is “pretty comfortable with his Methodist faith.” Despite that, during his presidency, it was clear that the former president has a true affection for Catholicism. He took time out to attend both Pope John Paul II’s funeral as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s investiture Mass. He and Pope Benedict had a visibly warm relationship as was seen during the Holy Father’s unforgettable White House reception. Who knows? Perhaps one day. After all, faith is a journey. For some, it takes a bit longer.
As for Jeb Bush, he described his conversion this way, from Catholic Online via The Deacons Bench blog:
Bush said what primarily attracted him to the faith were the “sacraments of the Catholic Church, the timeless nature of the message of the Catholic Church, and the fact that the Catholic Church believes in and acts on absolute truth as its foundational principles and doesn’t move with modern times as my former religion did.”
A former Episcopalian who was received into the Church in 1995, Bush said, “In the United States many people think that to keep your faith, you need to put it into a safety deposit box if you’re an elected official until you finish your service as a public servant, and then you can go and get it back. I never thought that was appropriate.”
That’s a great testimony to the everlasting Truth of the Faith as well as the necessity to live that Truth and Faith in your life, no matter as a public official or a private citizen.
