Washington ? President Bush praised Pope Benedict XVI Tuesday as a “man of great wisdom and knowledge,” and Republicans and Democrats lauded the election of a pontiff who is likely to assume a prominent role in debates over abortion, same-sex marriage and war.

“He is a man who serves the Lord,” Bush said in a short statement to reporters Tuesday afternoon. “We remember well his sermon at the pope’s funeral in Rome, how his words touched our hearts and the hearts of millions. We join with our fellow citizens and millions around the world who pray for continued strength and wisdom as His Holiness leads the Catholic Church.”

Bush, who became the first U.S. president to attend a pope’s funeral when he led a delegation to John Paul II’s service, will not return to Rome for Sunday’s Mass celebrating the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the 265th pope.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Benedict had “earned the trust and respect of Pope John Paul II, who did God’s work here on Earth, seeking peace and justice for all,” adding that she hopes the new pope “will build on that legacy.”

As John Paul showed, the pope often plays a significant role in the political, as well as the religious, life of millions of Americans, including prominent politicians. Bush often cited John Paul when talking about efforts to limit abortions, fight religious persecution and spread freedom around the world. At the same time, Bush’s critics often trumpeted the pope’s opposition to the Iraq war and the death penalty to attack the president’s policies.

Although Republicans and Democrats were quick to praise Benedict’s election, the new pope’s opposition to abortion, homosexuality, contraception and larger role for women in the church are certain to stir more debate in the United States.

With both parties focused on appealing to religious voters, especially the large number of Catholics, politicians and lawmakers are acutely sensitive to the concerns of Roman Catholics and their leadership in Rome, in particular the pope.

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A total of 155 senators and representatives — nearly 30 percent of Congress — are Roman Catholic, according to a database kept by Congressional Quarterly.

Even lawmakers whose social views clash with those emphasized by the church issued laudatory statements about the new pontiff.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a Catholic, was criticized by many church leaders during last year’s presidential campaign for supporting abortion rights, with some bishops saying they would deny him the sacrament of Holy Communion. On Tuesday, Kerry said the election represents “a great moment of hope, renewal and possibility for the Catholic church.”

“Like all Catholics, Teresa and I pray for the Holy Father, extend our hopes for the church, and hope that Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate will touch the world in the same way Pope John Paul II did,” he said.