NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN EVER JUSTIFY ACTS OF TERRORISM

VATICAN CITY, 10 SEP 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a message to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, marking the tenth anniversary of the attacks against the World Trade Centre in New York, and against Washington and Pennsylvania, which occurred on 11 September 2001 and killed thousands of people.

After commending the victims to divine mercy, Benedict XVI goes on to recall that the perpetrators were convinced they were acting in the name of God. "Once again", he writes, "it must be unequivocally stated that no circumstances can ever justify acts of terrorism. 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".

The Holy Father has words of praise for the courage and generosity shown by the American people during the rescue operations and "for their resilience in moving forward with hope and confidence. It is my fervent prayer", he concludes, "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".
MESS/ VIS 20110910 ()