Pope prays at Ground Zero, says grief is still "palpable"
ADV
ADV
Pope prays at Ground Zero, says grief is still "palpable"

Pope prays at Ground Zero, says grief is still "palpable"

di lettura
(AGI) New York, Sept 25 - A visibly moved Pope Francis was atGround Zero on Friday, offering words of comfort to those leftbehind by the victims of September 11. "I feel many differentemotions standing here at Ground Zero, where thousands of liveswere taken in a senseless act of destruction. Here grief ispalpable," His Holiness said. "A few moments ago I met some ofthe families of the fallen first responders ... In those familymembers, we see the face of pain, a pain which still touches usand cries out to heaven." Accompanied by the archbishop of NewYork, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Pope Francis visited the memorialand museum where the Twin Towers once stood. "The water we seeflowing towards that empty pit reminds us of all those liveswhich fell prey to those who think that destruction, tearingdown, is the only way to settle conflicts. It is the silent cryof those who were victims of a mindset which knows onlyviolence, hatred and revenge. A mindset which can only causepain, suffering, destruction and tears," he stated. "Theflowing water is also a symbol of our tears. Tears at so muchdevastation and ruin, past and present. This is a place wherewe shed tears, we weep out of a sense of helplessness in theface of injustice, murder, and the failure to settle conflictsthrough dialogue. Here we mourn the wrongful and senseless lossof innocent lives because of the inability to find solutionswhich respect the common good. This flowing water reminds us ofyesterday's tears, but also of all the tears still being shedtoday." "In this way, the lives of our dear ones will not belives which will one day be forgotten," he promised. "Instead,they will be present whenever we strive to be prophets not oftearing down but of building up, prophets of reconciliation,prophets of peace." (AGI). .
ADV