Violence must never be carried out in God’s name Pope Benedict insisted as he marked the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
“The tragedy of that day is compounded by the perpetrators’ claim to be acting in God’s name,” he said.
In a letter sent a letter to Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, Benedict said he was praying for the thousands of innocent victims of the “brutal assault” and hoped that their families may find continued consolation.
“Every human life is precious in God’s sight and no effort should be spared in the attempt to promote throughout the world a genuine respect for the inalienable rights and dignity of individuals and peoples everywhere,” he said.
Benedict called for a greater commitment to justice and a “global culture of solidarity” to rid the world of the types of grievances that spark such acts of violence.
“It is my fervent prayer that a firm commitment to justice and a global culture of solidarity will help rid the world of the grievances that so often give rise to acts of violence and will create the conditions for greater peace and prosperity, offering a brighter and more secure future,” he said.
The pope, who visited Ground Zero in New York during his trip to the United States in 2008, commended Americans “for their resilience in moving forward with hope and confidence”, but said the root causes of violence still had to be addressed.
Sources