Pope Prays At Ground Zero
NEW YORK (CNN) — Pope Benedict XVI prayed at New York’s Ground Zero on Sunday, asking God to bring healing and strength to grieving families, and direction for people “consumed with hatred.”
“We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here — the heroic first-responders, our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001,” the pontiff said.
He greeted dignitaries, including New York Gov. David Paterson, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.
The pontiff was joined by 24 people he invited to the ceremony, including family members of people killed in the World Trade Center attacks and rescue workers who survived the attacks.
“We ask you, in your compassion, to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness. Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope,” he said.
The New York Times noted Sunday that the pope’s service had “particular significance for many survivors of 9/11” because many of the victims had Roman Catholic backgrounds. Also, the CIA’s World Factbook says approximately one in four Americans is Roman Catholic.
The pope also prayed for “those who suffered death, injury and loss on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Our hearts are one with theirs as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.”
He asked God to “bring your peace to our violent world — peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the Earth. Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred.”
He ended the prayer saying, “God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events.
“Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain. Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.”
New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said before the event that “it means a lot to the first responders, and it means a lot to the city.”
Asked about the pope’s inclusion of a prayer for those “consumed with hatred” Kelly said, “The pope is concerned about world peace … and every pope is attempting to facilitate that.”
As a youth in Germany, Benedict — then Joseph Ratzinger — was forced to join the Hitler Youth. He has spoken in the past about the hatred represented by that regime.
Sunday marks the last day of his trip to the United States. He is scheduled to celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium before a crowd of 60,000 people.
Benedict’s three-day visit to New York is the second leg of his six-day trip to the United States — his first since he was elected to the papacy.
On Friday, he visited the United Nations, where he addressed the General Assembly and urged diplomats to intervene in nations unable to protect their populations from human rights violations.
He was only the third pope to address the General Assembly. Pope Paul VI visited in 1965, and Pope John Paul II visited in 1979 and 1995.
Also Friday, Benedict visited Park East Synagogue, becoming the first pope to visit a a Jewish house of worship in the United States.
“I find it moving to recall that Jesus, as a young boy, heard the words of scripture and prayed in a place such as this,” the pope told worshippers there.
