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Chapter 24. Life in Christ—Part Two • 333
of any religious tradition distort their professed faith in order
to justify violence and hatred. Whatever the motivation, there
can be no religious or moral justification for what happened
on September 11. People of all faiths must be united in the
conviction that terrorism in the name of religion profanes reli-
gion. The most effective counter to terrorist claims of religious
justification comes from within the world’s rich religious tradi-
tions and from the witness of so many people of faith who have
been a powerful force for nonviolent human liberation around
the world.
A Time for Teaching
Many Catholics know the Church’s teaching on war and
peace. Many do not. This is a time to share our principles and
values, to invite discussion and continuing dialogue within our
Catholic community. Catholic universities and colleges, schools,
and parishes should seek opportunities to share the Sacred
Scripture and Church teaching on human life, justice, and peace
more broadly and completely. In a special way, we should seek
to help our children feel secure and safe in these difficult days.
[Note: the Church’s teaching on war appears in Chapter 29.]
A Time for Hope
Above all, we need to turn to God and to one another in
hope. Hope assures us that, with God’s grace, we will see our
way through what now seems such a daunting challenge. For
believers, hope is not a matter of optimism, but a source for
strength and action in demanding times. For peacemakers,
hope is the indispensable virtue. This hope, together with our
response to the call for conversion, must be rooted in God’s
promise and nourished by prayer, penance, and acts of charity
and solidarity. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
A
Pastoral Message: Living with Faith and Hope after September
11
[Washington, DC: USCCB, 2001])