In remarks in Rome Wednesday, Pope John Paul II recalled the innocent victims of last year's attacks in New York and Washington. He said nothing can justify such inhuman ferocity.
The pontiff marked the anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States by dedicating his Wednesday general audience to the thousands of innocent victims of what he called an aberration. Thousands were present in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican.
After expressing words of sympathy for the families of the victims, the pope turned his attention to those who planned and carried out the attacks. He said no injustice, no feeling of frustration and no philosophy or religion can ever justify such horror.
Terrorism, the pope said, is and will always be an act of inhuman ferocity, and will never be able to resolve conflicts between human beings. The pope added, only reason and love, and not terrorism, can resolve differences between peoples.
The Pope also called for urgent efforts to launch new political and economic initiatives to end injustice and oppression. When fundamental rights are violated, he said, it is easy to be tempted by hatred and violence.