Mr. Kenneth E. Bowers, Secretary General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, was among a small group of selected religious leaders invited to serve as ecumenical representatives at the arrival ceremony honoring His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the White House on April 16, 2008. He was accompanied at the event by Ms. Kit Bigelow, Director of External Affairs of the National Assembly.

The event, held on the South Lawn of the White House, was attended by more than 13,000 people. The ecumenical leaders sat to one side of the dais where the Pope and President George W. Bush addressed the crowd in speeches that addressed the roles of faith and justice.

Kit Bigelow and Kenneth E. Bowers

The Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the
White House. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian