Over the past few weeks we have been inundated with images, news stories and gatherings, commemorating the tragic events that unfolded in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. 10 years ago. That image of the Twin Towers ablaze and collapsing, taking with it the lives of so many innocent people, both workers and rescue workers, are permanently engraved upon our national psyche and memory. Communities throughout the country gathered to remember that fateful day this past Sunday. I’m sure most of us heard homilies that recalled the terrorist attacks on our community and the need to move toward healing and reconciliation, as the readings at Mass were providentially tailored for the commemoration.
Some in the interreligious field nationally were upset over New York City’s decision to exclude religious leaders from its 10th anniversary memorial service of the Sept. 11th tragedy. Most were from the Evangelical Christian churches, along with some civic leaders. Former New York Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington, who was serving in office at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack, expressed outrage at the exclusion in an interview with Wall Street Journal. “This is America and to have a memorial service where there’s no prayer, this appears to be insanity to me. I feel like America has lost its way” Washington said. John Long, director of the Federation of Fire Chaplains for the Mid-Atlantic, was upset by the decision and said, “You can’t have a memorial service without religion. If it wasn’t for God and his direction, you couldn’t have memorial services to begin with.” A group of Evangelicals were circulating a petition asking Mayor Bloomberg of New York City to include clergy in the Sept. 11th ceremony this past Sunday.
Evangelicals were not the only Christians upset over the ban on clergy at the ceremony. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League said that “Mayor Bloomberg should reverse his decision, allowing a priest, minister, rabbi and imam to make a short statement. This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, thus the rationale for the presence of the first three clergymen; the inclusion of an imam — to the exclusion of the clergy of other religions — can be justified on the basis of a goodwill gesture to the Muslim community. Aside from kooks, is there anyone who would object to this proposal?”
Not all religious leaders were upset over the decision not to include clergy in the ceremonies. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York City responded to questions about the clergy ban by saying, “faith and religion is being represented in the wider celebrations in New York.” Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, said he had no reservations about the format for the commemoration at ground zero.
One should not conclude that prayer was not part of the commemorations held this past Sunday. At the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania, a Navy tenor sang the words from the “Battle Hymn of the Republic — In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea…as he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free.” At ground zero, President Barak Obama and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani both read from Sacred Scriptures.
President Obama read Psalm 46, which speaks of perseverance: “The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice. The earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.”
Former President George W. Bush, read of sacrifice from a letter written by President Abraham Lincoln to a mother who lost five sons in the Civil War — including a heart-felt prayer: “I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”
Giuliani asked for God’s blessing on all those lost and left behind. “God bless every soul we lost, God bless the family members who have to endure that loss and God guide us to our reunion in heaven and God bless the United States of America.”
Father Joseph D. Wallace is coordinator, Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, Diocese of Camden.
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