Posted on 09/11/2002 5:32:02 AM PDT by Pern
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul, marking the anniversary of the attacks on U.S. cities, branded terrorism "ferocious inhumanity" but asked for prayers that God would show mercy and forgiveness for the attackers.
The pope also urged the world to change in situations of injustice that spurred the desire for revenge.
"We pray for the victims today, may they rest in peace, and may God show mercy and forgiveness for the authors of this horrible terror attack," he said in Polish, according to a translation provided by Vatican Radio.
The pope was speaking in unscripted remarks in Polish during a special general audience dedicated to commemorating the victims of the attacks by hijacked aircraft on New York and Washington landmarks.
The service included mourning music and a peace prayer.
"Terrorism is and always will be a manifestation of ferocious inhumanity, and because it is, it never will resolve conflicts between human beings," he told some 10,000 people in the Vatican's vast auditorium.
"Violence can only lead to further hatred and destruction."
But he called for changes in "scandalous situations of injustice and oppression, which continue to afflict so many members of the human family, creating conditions that are favorable to the uncontrolled explosion of the thirst for vendetta."
After his address, special prayers were read in several languages, including Arabic, for the victims of the attacks and for peace among religions.
MORE THAN 3,000 DEAD
More than 3,000 people died in the attacks on New York's World Trade Center, U.S. military headquarters at the Pentagon on the Washington outskirts and in a hijacked plane that crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
The prayer read in Arabic asked believers of all religions to "firmly reject every form of violence and commit themselves to resolving conflicts with sincere and patient dialogue" while respecting different histories, cultures and religions.
Speaking in a somber voice in his address, the pope said injustices had to be tackled through urgent and resolute political and economic actions.
He said that when fundamental rights were violated in oppressive situations, "it is easy to fall prey to the temptation of hate and violence."
But one year on, the pontiff said it was not enough to commemorate the victims and pray for their families.
"We also want to interrogate the consciences of those who planned and carried out such a barbarous and cruel action," he said.
"One year after September 11, 2001, we repeat that no situation of injustice, no feeling of frustration, no philosophy or religion can justify such an aberration."
"On this very sad anniversary, we raise to God our prayer so that love may be able to take the place of hate, and, with the help of all people of good will, that concord and solidarity may take root in every corner of the earth," he said.
Maybe he rightly recognizes his role as a man devoted to the teachings of Jesus Christ, is to leave the judgement to God, and to humbly, compassionately, and peacefully pray for the salvation of all men.
Even the most despicable among them.
How do you show mercy and forgiveness to those who are implacable and unremorseful, who stand there ready to kill, maim, torture innocent civilians? Nah, to hell with it. Skin them, dismember them and sent their body parts to all the nations that harbor terrorist with a message - "We are coming for you next"
"I say to you, forgive your enemies..pray for those who persecute you."
Some of you "Christians" are forgetting the direct words of Christ Himself.
Seems as though most folks prefer the Old Testament! ;`)
Well, would you mind telling me the winning lottery numbers for this Saturday?
Men must deserve salvation, they must work at it and live their lives accordingly. They should not hope for a fatuous statement from a man who should know better to save them from eternal damnation. These men stood for everything that the Church and God abhors. God will certainly decide.
Why did Christ pray to His Father? Christ was a man, too, don't forget.
Course if you create God in the image and likeness of man with all the traits of a human then it makes sense
But God created God in the image and likeness of man - in Jesus. I suppose he had a lot of options, don't you? But man needed redeeming and forgiving. Jesus died for the sinners, not the saints. Like I said, it's a tough mystery but it's at the heart of Christianity, and I don't dare question it. I somehow suspect that God holds to a higher standard those who have heard Jesus' words and rejected and parsed them than those who were brought up to hate them. I believe we have a right to administer human justice and should, but I don't beg for damnation for anyone.
Uh, once yer in hell, you're eternally separated from God. That's the "hell" of it. Seems unlikely that the hijackers had "death-cockpit" conversions.
Hard to figure what the Pope is talkin' about.
Indeed, the Holy Father is doing exactly what Popes are supposed to do. He has much practice praying for his persecutors, starting with the Nazis and continuing through the Communists. Note that while praying for them, he also resisted them tooth and nail. He outlasted them and, in the case of the communists, helped defeat them. The Pope knows exactly what he's doing and suffers no lack of "moral clarity."
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