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Pope John Paul II | Bishop Burke | JP II on Ps. 56 | Most Recent | Others
Here are Pope John Paul II's remarks at his weekly general audience on Wednesday, 12 September 2001.
VATICAN CITY --I cannot begin this audience without expressing my profound sorrow at the terrorist attacks which yesterday brought death and destruction to America, causing thousands of victims and injuring countless people. To the President of the United States and to all American citizens, I express my heartfelt sorrow. In the face of such unspeakable horror we cannot but be deeply disturbed. I add my voice to all the voices raised in these hours to express indignant condemnation, and I strongly reiterate that the ways of violence will never lead to genuine solutions to humanity's problems.
Yesterday was a dark day in the history of humanity, a terrible affront to human dignity. After receiving the news, I followed with intense concern the developing situation, with heartfelt prayers to the Lord. How is it possible t commit acts of such savage cruelty? The human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people. Bur faith comes to our aid at these times when words seem to fail. Christ's word is the only one that can give a response to the questions which trouble our spirit. Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it.
With deeply felt sympathy I address myself to the beloved people of the United States in this moment of distress an consternation, when the courage of so many men and women of good will is being sorely tested. In a special way I reach out to the families of the dead and the injured, and assure them of my spiritual closeness. I entrust to the mercy of the Most High the helpless victims of their tragedy, for whom I offered Mass this morning, invoking upon them eternal rest. May God give courage to the survivors; may he sustain the rescue-workers and the many volunteers who are presently making an enormous effort to cope with such an immense emergency. I ask you, dear brothers and sisters, to join me in prayer for them. Let us beg the Lord that the spiral of hatred and violence will not prevail. May the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Mercy, fill the hearts of all with wise thoughts and peaceful intentions.
Today, my heartfelt sympathy is with the American people, subjected yesterday to inhuman terrorist attacks which have taken the lives of thousands of innocent human beings and caused unspeakable sorrow in the hearts of all men and women of good will. Yesterday was indeed a dark day in our history, an appalling offence against peace, a terrible assault against human dignity.
I invite you all to join me in commending the victims of this shocking tragedy to Almighty Gods eternal love. Let us implore his comfort upon the injured, the families involved, all who are doing their utmost to rescue survivors and help those affected.
I ask God to grant the American people the strength and courage they need at this time of sorrow and trial.
The statement made by the Most Rev. Raymond Burke, Bishop of La Crosse.
Introduction
It is difficult to take in the enormity of the hateful aggression committed against our nation on this past September 11th. Our Holy Father stated so well the pervasive effect of the terrorist attack on our nation: "The human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people" (General Audience, Wednesday 12 September 2001). With each passing day, we are coming to comprehend more of the horrible magnitude of the evil acts which have touched the lives of us all.
Suffering of the nation
Truly, the ferocity of the attack on our people has affected us all. So many have lost a family member or friend, either directly in the attacks or in the effort to rescue the injured. On Wednesday, I learned from one of our priests of the presumed death of his cousin's husband. Father of two young children, he worked on the 91st floor of one of the World Trade Center towers. On Saturday evening, I made my first visit to Saint Bridget Parish in Springfield, a small rural parish near Chippewa Falls. Upon arriving, I learned that a family of the parish had lost their daughter who worked in the Pentagon. Sunday morning, I traveled to Sigel to celebrate the centennial of the parish church. There, too, I was stunned to learn that a parishioner had lost her brother who also worked in the Pentagon.
All of us, in fact, have been profoundly affected, for the security which we have felt in our homes and nation has been taken away. There remains with us the haunting sense that there may well be more destruction to come, before which we are powerless.
Retaliation or justice
There is within us all, I suspect, a deep anger over the unspeakable injustices committed against our fellow citizens and our nation. As the perpetrators of these horrible crimes are identified and apprehended, what will be our attitude?
There is much talk about retaliation. Yet, retaliation only returns hatred for hatred, and generates an even greater division within God's family. What justice is there in inflicting upon the people of Islamic nations the same violent and senseless attack which was inflicted upon our countrymen on September 11th? What justice is there in assigning to all Islamic persons the hateful attitudes which were the seed-bed of the terrorism which has violated us all? Cannot we understand that, apart from the terrorists, the Islamic peoples are like us all, striving to live, and to have and provide for a family.
Our faith instructs us to love our enemies and to seek reconciliation with them. God the Father spared not His only Son, but, in His infinite mercy, gave Him up to the cruelest torture and death in order to save us from our sins and win for us eternal life. Our Lord Jesus Himself, as He was dying o the Cross, prayed for those who had tortured Him and were putting Him to death. Let us place our anger before the image of the Crucifix, the image of the immeasurable mercy of God, and we will find peace. Our attitude must be Christ's.
Those who have perpetrated the unspeakable crimes must be brought to justice and make reparation for the grave wound which they have inflicted upon the American people. It is they who must take responsibly for their deeds. The guilt cannot simply be assigned to all Islamic or Arab peoples, and an indiscriminate attack made upon them.
God alone is our security
These past several days make it clear to us the God alone is our refuge and peace. We cannot put ultimate trust in any man. Desiring peace and the return of our security, we turn to God in prayer, for, from Him alone, will come peace for our troubled world and our troubled souls. The gravity of our situation demands ceaseless prayer for peace in these days and in the day to come. Let us pray especially for peace in the Holy Land, the homeland of our Lord.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is with us always in the Church to help and guide through the sevenfold gift of the Holy Spirit. In Him alone, we will find rest in the face of the bewildering questions which anguish our minds and hearts in these days.
Conclusion
With Christ and in Christ, let us pray that God will grant eternal rest to our brothers and sisters who have died, comfort and strength to those who survived, and His lasing peace to all, to our world. May our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, pray for us all and for peace in our nation.
God is always on the side of
the faithful
Pope John Paul II reflects
upon Psalm 56
VATICAN CITY, SEP
19, 2001 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which took place in St. Peter's
Square, John Paul II reflected on Psalm 56, explaining that it is "a nocturnal
song which prepares the one praying for the light of dawn, awaiting with
anxiety, to be able to praise the Lord in joy. The Psalm, in effect, passes from
dramatic lament to God to serene hope and
joyous thanks."
The Pope explained that the first part of the Psalm concerns the "experience of fear at the assault of evil which attempts to strike the just man. ... The presence of the Lord does not delay in showing its efficacy, through punishment of the adversaries. ... Such faith in divine justice, always alive in the Psalter, prevents discouragement and surrender to the power of evil. God always takes the side of the faithful, overturning the designs of the enemy, making them stumble on their own wicked plans."
The second part of the Psalm, the Pope continued, is one of thanks. "The liturgy, therefore, causes hope to blossom: it turns to God, inviting Him to draw near to His people anew and to listen to their supplication."
The Pope emphasized that "the Psalm closes, thus, with a song a praise to the Lord," and concluded affirming that "Psalm 56 is transformed in Christian tradition into a song of reawakening to the Easter light and joy, which shines upon the faithful erasing the fear of death and opening the horizon to the celestial glory."
In his greetings to English-speaking pilgrims after the audience, in reference to the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States, the Pope said: "I invite you to pray in these days that Almighty God will guide the mind and hearts of world leaders so that the ways of justice and peace may prevail." AG/PSALM 56/... VIS 20010919 (310)
Psalm 56
56:1 Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;
all day long foes oppress me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many fight against me. O Most High,
when I am afraid, I put my trust in you.In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;
I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me?
All day long they seek to injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps.
As they hoped to have my life,
so repay them for their crime;
in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?
Then my enemies will retreat in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I am not afraid.
What can a mere mortal do to me?My vows to you I must perform, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
and my feet from falling, so that I may walk
before God in the light of life.
Letter from head of
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
to President Bush
19 September 2001
WASHINGTON, 19 September 2001 (CNS) -- Moral restraint is needed along with resolve in the U.S. campaign to end terrorism, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a letter to President Bush. The USCCB head, Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, said the country has a ``moral right'' and ``grave obligation to defend the common good'' against terrorist attacks. But he said U.S. actions also must be governed by the restraints of law and ``sound moral principles, notably the norms of the just-war tradition.'' Bishop Fiorenza's letter, dated Sept. 19 and released Sept. 20, just hours before Bush was to address the nation in a speech to a joint session of Congress, said the nation's bishops ``pray that you will find just, effective ways to respond with resolve and restraint to the long-term task of ending terrorism.''
Religious leaders meet Bush,
urge guidance of moral principles
20 September 2001
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Two dozen religious leaders from a spectrum of faiths, including two cardinals, met with President Bush Sept. 20 to pray and advise him about the U.S. response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In a statement issued shortly after the White House meeting, the religious leaders said the country has ``both a moral right and a grave obligation as a nation to protect the sanctity of life and the common good.'' The statement said, ``We should respond not in the spirit of aggression, but as victims of aggression who must act to prevent further atrocities of terrorism.'' Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Cardinal Bernard F. Law of Boston said the group prayed with the president, offered advice about how the United States should answer the terrorist attacks, and then sang a verse of ``America the Beautiful.''
Statement of his Eminence,
EDWARD CARDINAL EGAN
September 11, 2001 has been a day of tragedy here in the City of New York, in our nation's capital, and across the land. We here in New York have been dealing with this tragedy as best we could from 9:00 in the morning until now, when the skies are darkening and we have an opportunity to reflect on what has happened. These are what I hope and trust will be the reflections of the noble, courageous citizenry of New York City. First, we are not afraid. We are a courageous people living and working under the guidance and with the love of Divine Providence. Secondly, we remain at peace in the face of the tragedy that has beset us. Our peace is grounded in that confident trust in providence. Finally, we call for justice. We insist that those who have committed this crime be called before the courts of civilized people. We must not, however, allow our pursuit of justice to descend into sentiments of hate and retaliation.
Today I have witnessed the generosity and heroism of the police officers, fire fighters and health care professionals of the City of New York. They have been an inspiration to me, and I am confident they are that for all of my fellow New Yorkers.
To the families of those who have died we extend our heartfelt sympathy. They and their loved ones are in our thoughts and in our prayers. Likewise, all who are injured may be sure that we hold them in our hearts and look forward to their complete and speedy recovery.
To the President of these United States and his administration, to the Mayor of the City of New York and his administration, and to the Mayor of the City of Washington, D.C. and his administration, we express our loyalty and promise our support at this difficult time. With the help of our God and united as free men and women under God, we wipe away our tears, roll up our sleeves, do what needs to be done, and look confidently to the future.
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