President Bush at the dedication of Flight 93 Memorial last night (get your kleenex).
Go here, click "complete file" and watch this interview with Major Heather Penney, one of the jet pilots sent to intercept Flight 93 had Todd Beamer and his confreres not changed things up. Fast forward to about the 20 minute mark and listen to her tell you they had no missiles aboard (no time to mount them), so they were going to ram the plane. (Curtsy: American Digest). So much heroism from so many quarters.
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To my Venerable Brother
The Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
On this day my thoughts turn to the somber events of September 11, 2001, when so many innocent lives were lost in the brutal assault on the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the further attacks in Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. I join you in commending
the thousands of victims to the infinite mercy of Almighty God and in
asking our heavenly Father to continue to console those who mourn the
loss of loved ones.
The tragedy of that day is compounded by the perpetrators' claim to be acting in God's name. Once again, it must be unequivocally stated that no circumstances can ever justify acts of terrorism. Every human life is precious in God's sight and no effort should be spared in the
attempt to promote throughout the world a genuine respect for the
inalienable rights and dignity of individuals and peoples everywhere.
The American people are to be commended for the courage and generosity that they showed in the rescue operations and for their resilience in moving
forward with hope and confidence. It is my fervent prayer that a firm
commitment to justice and a global culture of solidarity will help rid
the world of the grievances that so often give rise to acts of violence
and will create the conditions for greater peace and prosperity,
offering a brighter and more secure future.
With these sentiments, I extend my
most affectionate greetings to you, your brother Bishops and all those
entrusted to your pastoral care, and I gladly impart my Apostolic
Blessing as a pledge of peace and serenity in the Lord,
From the Vatican, September 11, 2011
Iconic photos of the day. Islam showed itself that day; so did Catholicism.
