Pope, at Sacred Site, Remembers Those Who Perished on 9/11

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In a poignant, pastoral tribute, Pope Francis visited the National September 11 Memorial and Museum Sept. 25.

“I feel many different emotions standing here at Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken in a senseless act of destruction,” the pope said in his address in Spanish at an interreligious service he celebrated inside the museum’s underground Foundation Hall.

“Here, grief is palpable.”

Referring to the two tranquil reflecting pools which are part of the memorial outdoors, and which represent where the Twin Towers once stood, he said, “The water we seeing flowing toward that empty pit reminds us of all those lives which fell prey to those who think that destruction, tearing down, is the only way to settle conflicts…

“The flowing water is also a symbol of our tears,” the pope continued. “Tears at so much devastation and ruin, past and present.”

“A Witness to Peace: A Multi-Religious Gathering With Pope Francis,” began with a Welcome of the Holy Father by Cardinal Dolan, who accompanied the pope to the solemn service. Reflections were offered by Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, senior rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan, and Imam Khalid Latif, executive director of the Islamic Center and chaplain to Muslim students at New York University.

Pope Francis read the same prayer Pope Benedict XVI recited when he visited the ruins of Ground Zero in April 2008, a prayer that includes those who died the same day at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and near Shanksville, Pa.

Meditations on Peace were read in sacred tongue and in English. The Christian meditation was delivered by Archbishop Demetrios of America, and Rev. A.R. Bernard Sr., founder and CEO of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. The Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Muslim meditations were delivered by representatives of those faith traditions. Additionally, “A Jewish Prayer in Honor of the Deceased” was sung.

“It is a source of great hope that in this place of sorrow and remembrance I can join with leaders representing the many religious traditions which enrich the life of this great city,” Pope Francis said in his personal reflection.

Cardinal Dolan, in his welcome, said that one of the things New York does very well is “sincere and fruitful” interreligious friendship. “Our ancestors came here for religious freedom, and they found in New York City an atmosphere of respect and appreciation.”

The cardinal said he and other religious leaders have the honor of pastoring their people. “We work together, we pray together, we meet together, we talk to one another, and we try to serve as one in this city.”

Among the 400 guests who attended the gathering at Foundation Hall were a number of government and civic officials, dignitaries and family members of those who died during the terrorist attacks.

Earlier, outdoors, the pope prayed at the South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial and met 9/11 families of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.

“Meeting them made me see once again how acts of destruction are never impersonal, abstract or merely material,” Pope Francis said.

“They always have a face, a concrete story, names,” he explained. “In those family members, we see the face of pain, a pain which still touches us and cries out to heaven.”

The day of the pope’s visit—a sunny September morning in lower Manhattan—was reminiscent of the blue sky day that, 14 years and 14 days earlier, quickly turned dark after the towers fell and the city was awash in smoke and ash and agonizing grief.

Pope Francis asked that everyone together, each in his or her own way, spend a moment in silence and prayer. “Let us implore from on high the gift of commitment to the cause of peace….

“In this way, the lives of our dear ones will not be lives which will one day be forgotten. Instead, they will be present whenever we strive to be prophets not of tearing down but of building up, prophets of reconciliation, prophets of peace.”

Foundation Hall, which houses the slurry wall, is the final leg of the museum.

Pope Francis spoke near the Last Column, an imposing structure that rises 36 feet and is covered with mementos, memorial inscriptions and missing posters placed there by iron workers and rescue personnel, among others. It was the final steel structure removed from the site in May 2002, marking the end of the nine-month recovery efforts.

“This place of death became a place of life too,” the pope said, “a place of saved lives, a hymn to the triumph of life over the prophets of destruction and death, to goodness over evil, to reconciliation and unity over hatred and division.”

The gathering concluded with a stirring rendition of “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” performed by the Young People’s Chorus of New York City and, among all the attendees, the Sign of Peace.

Catholic News Service contributed to this report.