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Pope Benedict's prayer at Ground Zero
by Dennis Coday on Sep. 11, 2009
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look on us, people of many different faiths
and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
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.
Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionOn its Facebook page, CatholicTV.com has a photo of Pope Benedict's April 2008 visit to Ground Zero in New York and reprints the prayer he prayed there. It begins:
look on us, people of many different faiths
and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
The prayer ends with:
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.
Compare and contrast this
Compare and contrast this powerful prayer for peace with Mark Twain's famous posthumously published War Prayer.
The intent is similar. Twain tries through parody to reveal the absurd sin of praying for vengeance and victory in war. The Pope prays directly for peace, and for love, for comfort and consolation, for the wisdom and the courage of nonviolence.
So, let us now do at last as the Pope prays:
Love thy enemy.
Beat swords into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks.
No Catholic can go to war.
Dorothy Day taught us no Catholic can pay taxes which overwhelmingly go to war.
No Catholic can bear any weapon other than peace, and compassionate love.
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI
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