NEW YORK — Pope Francis spoke Friday of the “unspeakable violence” that took place at ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001, and lamented the failure to settle conflicts through peaceful means.
“Here grief is palpable,” the pope said in his speech at a multireligious gathering at the National September 11 Memorial &Museum.
“The water we see flowing towards 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,” Francis said.
Behind the pope was the slurry wall that held back the waters of the Hudson River after the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were destroyed.
He shared the stage with a dozen religious leaders on what he called “this hallowed ground” where 2,753 people died.
To his right stood the last upright beam taken from the trade center wreckage. It bears the rough lettering designating the units of the New York Fire Department and other first responders.
“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,” the pope said. “I trust that our presence together will be a powerful sign of our shared desire to be a force for reconciliation, peace and justice in this community and throughout the world.”
Shortly before the service, Cardinal Timothy Dolan accompanied the pope along the border of one of the memorial pools, and Francis placed a single flower on one of the slabs containing the names of the victims of the attacks.
Families of folur victims were introduced to the pope by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chairman of the Memorial &Museum.
Inside the museum, Dolan, New York’s archbishop, welcomed Francis to the service, titled “A Witness to Peace.” His interfaith outreach was both a confession and a bit of a boast.
“We in New York are sinners … but one of the things we do well is sincere and fruitful interreligious friendship.”
Dolan partly attributed that to New York’s diversity. “We work together, we pray together, we meet together, we talk to one another,” he said.
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, of Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan, and Imam Khalid Latif, a fire department chaplain and the executive director and chaplain of the Islamic Center at New York University, followed Dolan with reflections.
“In this place, where horrendous violence was committed falsely in the name of God, we, representatives of the world religions in this great City of New York, gather to offer words of comfort and prayer,” Cosgrove said.
Khalid Latif said that “intolerance and ignorance fueled those who attacked this place.”
“The courage of today’s gathering distinguishes us from the opponents of religious freedom as we stand together as brothers and sisters to condemn their horrific acts of violence and honor each life that was lost unconditionally.”
Greek Orthodox, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh religious leaders also shared the stage in Foundation Hall.
Francis is the first pope to visit the Memorial &Museum. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, prayed during a ceremony in April 2008 at ground zero before the Memorial &Museum opened.