Religious leaders ask flocks to pray

Law declares today a special observance

By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff, 9/12/2001

eligious leaders expressed horror yesterday over the acts of terrorism that rocked the nation, scheduled prayer vigils, and urged believers not to blame Islam for the attacks.

''You pray for the victims, you pray for the dead, you pray for the injured, and you pray for those who survived,'' Cardinal Bernard F. Law, said yesterday from Washington, D.C., where he was meeting with bishops.

''You pray, too, for the nation, that our response to this might reflect the best ideals of our nation and even more reflect God's own teaching, as it is found not only in Christianity and Judaism but in Islam as well,'' Law said.

Law declared today a special day of prayer, and planned to say a noon Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.

''The temptation is inevitable to look for scapegoats, to express anger, and yet violence has a way of begetting violence,'' Law said.

A variety of religious leaders issued similar messages.

''I think we're all feeling a sense of the importance of not jumping to any conclusion, not allowing prejudice against people of any ethic background or religion to flare up in a situation like this,'' said the Rev. Ray Hammond of Bethel AME Church in Jamaica Plain.

Members of the black community scheduled a special worship service for 4 p.m. Sunday at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, Hammond said. Many synagogues closed yesterday because of a fear of terrorism, but Temple Israel in Boston is holding a memorial service at 7:30 tonight.

Many churches held vigils last night, and clergy descended on Logan Airport to comfort families of victims.

Pope John Paul II called the events an ''unspeakable horror,'' and Archbishop Demetrios, primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, said, ''This is a tragedy of tremendous proportions with unforseeable consequences for the entire world.''

American Muslim organizations were quick to condemn the violence, although some Palestinians were celebrating in the Middle East.

''American Muslims utterly condemn what are apparently vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians,'' an alliance of American Muslim groups said in a statement. ''We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators.''

The Rev. Nancy S. Taylor, president of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, called on people to pray for the victims, their families, ''and, hard as it surely is, please pray also for those whose hate has driven them to actions so large and evil we cannot even wrap our minds around it all.''

At one multifaith service last night, at First Parish in Milton, a Unitarian Universalist church, about 200 people gathered to pray, light candles, and comfort one another. Congregants sang the antiwar anthem, ''Blowin' in the Wind'' and left while singing, ''We Shall Overcome.''

''We're here tonight with so many feelings: pain, numbness, shock, anger, sorrow, fear, relief,'' said the Rev. Laurinda Bilyeu Hotchkiss. ''Hold each other, love fiercely, pray for peace, and never ever let hope leave your heart.''

Bella English contributed to this report. Michael Paulson can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].

This story ran on page A21 of the Boston Globe on 9/12/2001.
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