WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- A liberal Episcopalian, who preaches inclusiveness in his sermons, was to give the invocation at President George W. Bush's inauguration.
The flock of the Rev. Luis Leon also describes him as a thinker who furthers social justice in his work and welcomes same-sex couples in his congregation, the Baltimore Sun reports.
To worshipers at St. John's Episcopal Church, which overlooks White House, Leon is also a trusted friend of the President, who attends his church.
Over the past four years, the president has forged a bond with Leon - chatting with him after his Sunday service at St. John's, inviting him to the White House for dinner and, most recently, asking the priest to deliver the prayer just before his swearing-in, the report said.
"I'll be about as nervous as a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs," Leon told the Sun in an earlier interview.
The White House Historical Association says the Cuban immigrant will be the first Latino ever to deliver the inaugural prayer. The prayer will last only about two minutes, but those minutes will be closely watched.
