Christ is the answer to violence
By Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone
Sept. 11, 2001 has become one of those dates in which
everyone remembers exactly where they were and how they learned the news
of the tragic and horrendous history-changing event that occurred on that
day, similar to the dates of Nov. 22, 1963 and Dec. 7, 1941, for those
old enough to remember the assassination of President Kennedy or the bombing
of Pearl Harbor.
As we mark the 10th anniversary of “9/11” this year, it is
clear that none of us will ever forget the terror we felt on that day,
and for weeks and months afterwards. And it is good not to forget.
As Pope John Paul II remarked in his General Audience the day after the
terrorist attacks: “The human heart has depths from which schemes
of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment
the normal daily life of a people. But faith comes to our aid at these
times when words seem to fail. Christ’s word is the only one that
can give a response to the questions which trouble our spirit. Even if
the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know
that evil and death do not have the final say. Christian hope is based
on this truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it.”
Christ, then, is the answer to the violence we see erupting all around
us. Not war, not intolerance, not bigotry. And that violence is not isolated
in far-off regions; it is literally all around us, in our own neighborhoods.
We need only think of the outbreak of violence at the Raiders-49ers game
on Aug. 21, which resulted, among other things, in the shooting of two
men and the severe beating of a third. Not only is the violence not far-off,
neither are those “schemes of unheard-of ferocity” which emerge
from the depths of the human heart.
If Christ is the answer, then faith is essential to the project of peace-building,
and thus, so is the role of religion in public life. It is our religious
faith that teaches and enables us to refrain from retaliating in kind,
knowing that violence begets violence.
As Blessed John Paul II also stated in his address to Diplomatic Corps
accredited to the Holy See on Jan. 13, 2003: “War is not always
inevitable; it is always a defeat for humanity.” It is also our
religious faith that teaches and enables us to refrain from painting large
categories of people with broad strokes based on the extremist actions
of a few. Most especially at this moment of history, it is our religious
faith that teaches and enables us to reach out in friendship to our neighbors
of the Muslim faith to deepen mutual understanding and work together for
the building of peace.
On the same occasion earlier this year, Pope Benedict XVI told the diplomats
accredited to the Holy See that when religious believers are free to practice
their faith, society benefits from an increase in upright behavior, respect
for others and solidarity with the poor and weak (Jan. 10, 2011). In that
same speech, he quoted from his message for World Day of Prayer for Peace
issued three days before:
“How can anyone deny the contribution of the world’s great
religions to the development of civilization? The sincere search for God
has led to greater respect for human dignity.
“Christian communities, with their patrimony of values and principles,
have contributed much to making individuals and peoples aware of their
identity and their dignity, the establishment of democratic institutions
and the recognition of human rights and their corresponding duties.
“Today too, in an increasingly globalized society, Christians are
called, not only through their responsible involvement in civic, economic
and political life but also through the witness of their charity and faith,
to offer a valuable contribution to the laborious and stimulating pursuit
of justice, integral human development and the right ordering of human
affairs.”
As we mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 — the memory of which will
always jar us — let us ask God for the grace to redouble our efforts
to live our faith integrally in our public, professional and private lives.
Christ is the answer, and the more we are identified to him in every aspect
of our lives, the more the world will know the peace, justice and love
that only he can give.
I conclude by offering as a meditation at this sober moment of history
the prayer which Pope Benedict composed and which he prayed at “ground
zero” during his visit to New York on April 20, 2008:
O God of love, compassion, and healing, look
on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today
at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who
died here — the heroic first-responders: our firefighters, 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 Sept. 11, 2001.
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.
We are mindful as well of 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.
God of peace, 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. 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. Amen.
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