President Barack Obama will address the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, one day after making a historic visit to a Baltimore mosque, where he delivered a message of religious inclusivity.
The President will use Thursday’s speech to “speak about the importance of coming together to embrace our common humanity and how faith can help us overcome fear,” building on his remarks at the mosque, a senior administration official told CNN on Wednesday.
The speech is “an opportunity for the President to discuss his own faith journey, the healing work of religious communities around the world, and the importance of joining hands to work together,” the official added.
Last year, the President came under fire for speaking about the Crusades as an example of violence committed in the name of Christ, making the case that religious violence isn’t limited to any one religion or time.
“And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ,” he had said.