Billy Graham receives rare honor from nation’s leaders
WASHINGTON – President Trump and congressional leaders praised Billy Graham as America’s pastor during a private ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as the preacher lay in honor.
Graham, an evangelical preacher who spoke to millions in his lifetime, died Feb. 21 at age 99. His casket was placed in the center of the Capitol Rotunda for the crowded morning ceremony attended by members of Congress, the Cabinet, the president and Vice President Pence. The Rotunda was opened for public viewing afterward.
Throughout the 30-minute ceremony, the president and first lady Melania Trump sat next to the Graham family.
The president called Graham an “am- bassador for Christ,” who changed America and the world.
“He ministered to all walks, from some of the greats whose statues line this very hall — Eisenhower, King, Ford and Reagan — to everyday citizens lining up to pay their respects,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said. “His message never diminished.
“That love was so infectious, wasn’t it? The man had such a gift for connecting with people.”
Graham’s wooden casket was carried into the packed but silent Rotunda by military pallbearers. It was placed on a wood catafalque, the same one used for Abraham Lincoln and others who have been honored at the Capitol.
Members of Congress, arranged in a line that snaked through the Rotunda, waited to greet the Graham family after the ceremony.
Graham is the fourth person to lie in honor at the Capitol. The previous was civil rights icon Rosa Parks in 2005. U.S. Capitol Police officers Jacob Joseph and John Michael Gibson, both of whom were killed in the line of duty in 1998, also received the honor.
Outside the Capitol, hundreds waited in line to view Graham’s casket.
“I went to many crusades and always heard him on the radio,” said Joan Fesmire of Pennsylvania. “He spoke with such love and authority.”
“The man had such a gift for connecting with people.”
Paul Ryan
House speaker