You may add an entry to our list of sympathy:

Our list of sympathy:

- compiled from e-mails which we have received regarding the tragedy -

As we have 61 members from the U.S.A. we are naturally very concerned about the events of 11 September 2001 and all the possible consequences. All I want to do, is to ask you for your fervent prayers, that all the affected people will find consolation and true help. What I ask you in any case is to pray for peace that the Holy Spirit may influence all the decision makers in "America's new war" to find a good solution and prevent an escalation of terror which might lead to a Third World War. (Father Gérard, Mandeni / South Africa)

May God take the victims of this barbaric act to his bosom and grant comfort and peace to their families and give wisdom to our politicians. (Dr. Barry W. Bradley / Northern Ireland)

All my sympathy and prayers (Dr. Michel Veuthey, Geneva / Switzerland)

"Gott ist die Liebe, und wer in der Liebe bleibt, bleibt in Gott, und Gott bleibt in ihm." (1 Joh 4,16) - Es ist alles so schrecklich, ich bin jeden Morgen in der Kirche, einfach, weil ich mit dem Lieben Gott trauern möchte, der doch nur noch den Kopf schütteln kann, über das, was wir Menschen uns antun... Wenn ich das Gebet nicht hätte, keinen Gott hätte, dann wüsste ich nicht, was ich jetzt tun sollte. So habe ich Hoffnung! (Diane Freiin von Wrede, Berlin / Germany)

"Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross. (First Tone)" - Apolytikion of the feast of the Holy Cross / May the Blessings of the Lord be on you. As the continent comes together on this day to pray, let us hold up before God all those who have gone into the company of the Church Triumphanton this most tragic of weeks. 'Rest Eternal grant to them O Lord, and Light Perpetual shine on them. May all the souls of the faithful departed rest in Peace. O Blessed One we hold before you all those who grieve. Help us to be the hands of your most Holy Son and have compassion on them and all of their families. Give us the strength to hear stories their grieve with them. Send Your most Holy angels to guard and protect those who are working so very hard to get to those still in the buildings. Most Holy and Divine Trinity encircle the leaders of the U.S. and all leaders of the world and guide them into right decisions for now and the future. All this we ask in the name of the King of All Ages who gave Himself for us in the centre of Eternity. Amen = Holy Mary, God-bearer, pray for us that we too may bear Christ and give His love to all in need. Pray for us that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. (Evan Agnew, London / Canada)

The attacks in New York and Wash DC last week have affected many beyond those areas. I am worried that our political leaders may craft a too hasty response that only escalates the situation. There is a wide consensus that some response is necessary. I just hope it is the right one. Please continue to pray for us, and for me. (Michael Perigo, Indianapolis / U.S.A.)

It sounds like your news outlets in SA have given a poor understanding of what the President and Congress here are intending. They're calling it a war, but they are using the word in a metaphorical sense; what they mean is a concerted anti-terrorist police action, using mostly non-military personell. They are not talking about conventional warfare, let alone declaring war on a number of nations. God's peace be with you! Sincerely in Christ, (Br. Alexis Bugnolo, Mansfield MA / U.S.A.)

Thanks for the Prayers, we can really use them. Yours in Christ, (Darryl E. Blatzer, Jacksonville, Florida / U.S.A.)

Terroranschläge in den USA: Solidarität der Malteser mit den Einsatzkräften "Als Verband, zu dessen wichtigsten Aufgaben es gehört, sich auf den Einsatz bei Großschadensereignissen vorzubereiten, fühlen wir uns in Solidarität mit den Einsatzkräften der New Yorker Feuerwehr und den Rettungskräfte in besonderer Weise von den unfaßbaren Ereignissen in den USA betroffen. Es ist in einer solchen Situation für viele unserer Helfer bedrückend, nicht unmittelbar etwas für die Opfer tun zu können. Aber wir können und sollten für alle Betroffenen beten, auch das ist ein wirksamer und unserem Auftrag gerecht werdender Dienst", sagte heute morgen der Geschäftsführende Präsident des Malteser Hilfsdienstes, Johannes Freiherr Heereman, angesichts der erschütternden Ereignisse in den Vereinigten Staaten, bei denen auch hunderte der eingesetzten Rettungskräfte ihr Leben verloren. Weiter traf der Vorstand heute morgen folgende Entscheidungen: In Abstimmung mit den anderen Hilfsorganisationen und der Caritas wird der Malteser Hilfsdienst weder Einsatzkräfte anbieten noch zu Spenden aufrufen. Hierzu besteht kein Bedarf. Der Malteser Hilfsdienst wird seine Einsatzkräfte für psychosoziale Betreuung (Mensch im Mittelpunkt) in Einsatzbereitschaft bringen und deutschen Firmen, deren Mitarbeiter zu den Opfern der Katastrophe zählen, seine Hilfe bei der Betreuung von Angehörigen anbieten. Die Leiter der Malteser Rettungswachen werden gebeten, diese Maßnahme zu unterstützen und die in Frage kommenden Einsatzkräfte bei Bedarf für diese Aufgabe vom Dienstplan freizustellen. Die im Rahmen von Bundesversammlung und Bundeswettbewerb geplanten Veranstaltungen in Nettetal werden durchgeführt, aber den Ereignissen entsprechend angepaßt. Am Freitag abend wird statt der geplanten Disco gegen 21.00 Uhr ein Helfergottesdienst im Zelt gefeiert werden. - Malteser leiten Spenden an US-amerikanische Malteser weiter. Die schrecklichen Terroranschläge in den USA haben in der deutschen Bevölkerung eine Welle der Hilfsbereitschaft ausgelöst. Hilfe in Form eines freiwilligen Einsatzes vor Ort oder durch den Versand von Hilfsgütern wird derzeit allerdings nicht benötigt. Da viele Menschen in Deutschland gleichwohl ihr Mitgefühl mit den Opfern durch Spenden zum Ausdruck bringen wollen, sind die Malteser gerne bereit, Spenden unter dem Stichwort "USA" (Malteser Spendenkonto 120 120 120 bei der Deutschen Bank 24, BLZ 370 700 24) entgegen zu nehmen und an die Malteser in den USA weiter zu leiten. Diese Mittel sollen insbesondere den Familien und Angehörigen der Rettungskräfte zugute kommen, die in ihrem Einsatz für dieTerroropfer ihr Leben verloren. (Malteser / Germany)

Thank you for your message. I have forwarded it to John Paul Reiner, our President. (John F. Shine SMOM American Association, New York NY / U.S.A.)

Thank you for your touching letter and expression of support. Both are sincerely appreciated. We have received dozens of like messages. All will be compiled and distributed to our members nationwide. Hoping this finds you well, I am Sincerely yours, (Joe Dempsey SMOM - Federal Association, Washington DC / U.S.A.)

"Am Samstag und Sonntag haben wir einen gewissen Abstand gewonnen. Das Leben muss weitergehen." So begründet der Präsident der Deutschen Fußball-Liga, Werner Hackmann, den Entschluss, den Spielbetrieb in der Bundesliga am Wochenende wie geplant fortzusetzen. "Das Leben muss weitergehen", diese Forderung haben wir oft gehört in den letzten Tagen. Weitermachen wie bisher, auch das ist eine Art, dem Terror der vergangenen Woche die Stirn zu bieten. Aber es ist auch leichter gesagt als getan. Für viele Menschen ist die Welt in diesen Tagen nicht mehr die selbe wie vor dem 11. September. Fassungslosigkeit, Entsetzen, Betroffenheit, Trauer, ohnmächtige Wut, Angst - diese menschlichen Reaktionen auf die schrecklichen Ereignisse sind lähmend, aber sie haben ihre Berechtigung. Noch weiß keiner, welche Folgen die Geschehnisse des 11. September 2001 noch nach sich ziehen werden. Wir können nur hoffen, dass weitere Schreckensmeldungen ausbleiben und es in den kommenden Wochen möglich sein wird, langsam wieder in den Alltag zurückzufinden. Aber so tun, als ob nichts passiert sei, das kann keiner von uns. Sicherheit, Menschlichkeit, Vertrauen, Hoffnungen, Träume, Wünsche - all das liegt unter den Trümmern des World Trade Centers begraben. Das Leben geht weiter, aber wir alle haben das Recht, zu trauern. Ihr (GMX Team / Germany)

Another question.... Are we asking it? There are no words to describe the sorrow and pain that many are feeling at the unspeakable terrorists attacks in the U.S. We all ask the question "How can people do these things?" This is a question everyone should be asking while never forgetting that the author of all evil is satan himself. However, we would be narrow minded if we were not asking another question.... ...it is a question an American doctor has been asking for many years, namely "How can we continue to kill 4,000 children of God every day in our country alone?" While the "civilized" West is clearly horrified at the despicable and obvious evil seen in the U.S. terrorist attacks, the hidden holocaust of abortion continues to claim thousands of lives in the U.S. and in so many coutries around the world every day, and the world and the media chooses to ignore the gravity of this evil. We must fast and pray to exorcise all evil, and for the conversion and salvation of the whole world. This is the time to wake up and see reality from God's perspective. We have to fight evil in all its forms. Pro-life organisations around the globe have been among the many groups to express shock and horror at the terrorist attacks in the United States. They joined with countless others in condemning these outrages against the sanctity of human life and have expressed their deepest sympathy for all those who have been injured or bereaved. (Catholic Action Life League / South Africa)

Dear Father Almighty, As we mourn for all the souls who died today in the attack, many of whom woke up this morning with no prayer or thought of You on their hearts, we ask You to extend the full portion of Your Mercy on their souls. We also beg of you to send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, into the lives of their surviving relatives and friends. You, Father, and You alone, have the power to bring good out of evil. We humbly implore you to guide the hands, feet, and minds of all rescue workers and police and fire workers who are responding to this crisis at this very moment. Protect them. Enlighten them. Help them save lives. We ask, too, Almighty One, that You extend a blanket of divine protection on the United States at this critical time. Guide our leaders, especially President Bush, and all sovereign nations who are our friends, and place them under the special mantle of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady, who is the patroness of our country. We ask all of this in the Holy Name that is Above All Other Names in Power and Glory and Love and Mercy; in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our brother, and Our Savior. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us. Saint Katharine Drexel and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us. Saint Thomas More, Patron of Politicians, pray for us. Saint Joseph, Patron Saint of Canada, pray for us. Immaculate Mary, Patroness of the United States, pray for us. Jesus Christ, King of Kings, we adore you!" (Bud Macfarlane Jr., MI, Executive Director catholicity.com)

Pro-life organisations have been among the many groups to express shock and horror at yesterday's terrorist attacks in the United States. Jacki Ragan, an official at the National Right to Life Committee based in Washington DC, said: "All I can think of are the countless lives lost this morning because of senseless acts of terrorism." SPUC in London joins with others in condemning these outrages against the sanctity of human life and expresses its deepest sympathy for all those who have been injured or bereaved. (Dominic Baster, SPUC International Secretary / United Kingdom)

Many thanks for your kind words of support at the difficult time for Americans. My home town is just across the river from the WTC. Your concern and prayers are appreciated. (Abbot Justin Dzikowicz O.S.B., Newton NJ / U.S.A.)

We pray for the peace all of the victims and their family. (Giacomo Beschi, Archdiocesan Seminary of Milan / Italy)

Io non parlo inglese, ma spero di parlare con la lingua del cuore: siamo vicini al popolo americano, siamo vicini ai parenti delle tante vittime, siamo specialmente vicini ai benemeriti soccorritori. Preghiamo perche' il Signore abbia compassione degli assassini che hanno compiuto questo barbaro gesto, e rechi al mondo la pace. (Don Gaetano Iaia, Napoli / Italia)

Bomb them with butter, Bribe them with hope! A military response, particularly an attack on Afghanistan, is exactly what the terrorists want. It will strengthen and swell their small but fanatical ranks. Instead, bomb Afghanistan with butter, with rice, bread, clothing and medicine. It will cost less than conventional arms, poses no threat of US casualties and just might get the populace thinking that maybe the Taliban don't have the answers. After three years of drought and with starvation looming, let's offer the Afghani people the vision of a new future. One that includes full stomachs. Bomb them with information. Video players and cassettes of world leaders, particularly Islamic leaders, condemning terrorism. Carpet the country with magazines and newspapers showing the horror of terrorism committed by their "guest". Blitz them with laptop computers and DVD players filled with a perspective that is denied them by their government. Saturation bombing with hope will mean that some of it gets through. Send so much that the Taliban can't collect and hide it all. The Taliban are telling their people to prepare for Jihad. Instead, let's give the Afghani people their first good meal in years. Seeing your family fully fed and the prospect of stability in terms of food and a future is a powerful deterrent to martyrdom. All we ask in return is that they, as a people, agree to enter the civilized world. That includes handing over terrorists in their midst. In responding to terrorism we need to do something different. Something unexpected .. something that addresses the root of the problem. We need to take away the well of despair, ignorance and brutality from which the Osama bin Laden's of the world water their gardens of terror. Dear Mr. President, we are writing to you at this moment to express our profound sadness at the events of September 11th, and to plead with you and those making the very difficult decisions which have to be made at this time for calm and a non-retaliatory stance. We have all been deeply affected by this tragedy and our hearts and sympathies go to all those who died and to the loved ones they left behind. In the wake of this event there is shock and sadness, and emotions run very high. It is human to want to respond quickly, to find those responsible and ensure that this cannot happen again anywhere. However, retaliating with more violence only breeds more violence and ensures that future generations will live in fear with mistrust and suffering. We urge you and our fellow citizens to remember that vengeance offers no relief, that retaliation can never guarantee healing and that to meet violence with violence breeds more rage and more senseless deaths. Only love leads to peace with justice. We believe it is our duty as a civilized nation to rise above the desire for retaliation and to find a way of dealing with this tragedy that is peaceful and good. We do not ask that we ignore that this happened or that those who are responsible not be held accountable. Rather we ask that we lead the world as an example of another way, a better way for all mankind. Further violence and the deaths of more innocent people will not resolve this situation or ensure the safety of future generations. This is truly an opportunity to show the world that leadership is earned, not imposed through violence and bullying tactics. Please Mr. President, give us all hope for a future where good will truly prevail over evil, and where violence has no place. Our goal should be to build bridges of love, respect and understanding among all people. This is the only way to ensure that the tragedy of September 11th and similar tragedies around the world do not happen again. (Maria Gurt, Germany)

As you can imagine things have not been normal since the terrorist attack last Tuesday in New York and Washington, D.C. It is truly a sense of the surreal, everybody is in a daze and the level of emotion is very high. I am concerned. We need to step back, take a deep collective breath and remember tolerance must guide our steps. It is of course normal to feel anger and to initially want revenge, but we must carefully contemplate the broad future ramifications of our actions. Please pray for the victims, their families and especially for our President and those who advise him at your daily Mass. (Professor Dr. Mark J. Wolff, B.A., J.D., LL.M., K.M., Miami, Florida / U.S.A.)

The shock and dust may have began to settle in New York and Washington, let us not forget those who have fallen, those who have bravely stood to save others and gave their lives in doing so. The many fire-fighters, the emergency crews, the police, all who have perished in this terrible disasters are the true heroes. We especially remember Fr. Mychal Judge, who for all his life gave service to those in need, who in simple piety and devotion moved even the leaders of the land. He stood his ground in service of the men and women he loved. We also call on Catholics around the world to rally to the call of the Holy Father, that we no longer spill the blood of the innocents, to protect the sanctity of life and for the end of bloodshed. Violence begats violence, let us give peace a chance. We also pray for the people of Afghanisthan, those suffering in poverty and hunger, that the leaders of the world will turn their attention to their plight as well. God grant us strength to forgive. "Lord God in Heaven, we come before you with contrite hearts and beg Your Divine Blessing upon those dearly departed, grant the, O Lord, Your protection and guidance, grant them eternal rest in Your All Embracing Arms. Amen." Pax Christi, (Br. Alex Ren, OFC, Honorary Secretary HEARTS International Association of Volunteer & Humanitarian Workers)

We all were shocked! We think on all our brothers involved in the terrible attack. We pray for our brothers! (Dr. med. Bruno Zimmermann, Therapiezentrum Martinsmühle, Germany)

THE ORDER OF MALTA IS PREPARING HELP FOR AFGHANISTAN REFUGEES

Cologne, September 26 2001

Today the ECOM President, Mr. de Cock de Rameyen, in coordination with the Great Hospitaller of SMOM, Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager, has decided to prepare possible relief actions for Afghanistan-refugees.

According to informations coming from OCHA, UNHCR and the international press more than a million refugees from Afghanistan are trying to leave the country and are actually situated at the borders to Pakistan and Iran.

As the situation in Pakistan is extremely tense, ECOM will prepare to provide help in Iran. An assessment-team shall be sent out as soon as possible to evaluate the situation and to organize the intervention which will be logistical and sanitary.

Source: SMOM website

This page is part of the Newsletter No. 21 of the Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard

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