SEPTEMBER 11 SPECIAL EDITION
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
PAGE 5
On a Tour of Ground Zero with President Bush NEW YORK During President Bush s visit to New York on Sept. 14 to view the World Trade Center disaster, the President met with Archbishop Demetrios and other religious leaders who toured the site with him. Also in attendance were Mayor Rudy Giuliani, New York Gov. George Pataki and other government officials. President Bush warmly greeted the Archbishop and told him he was pleased to see him especially in this moment of national crisis. Archbishop Demetrios reassured the president that, as the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church and on behalf of the entire Orthodox Christian community, he is standing by his side and the Church is ready to assist in any possible way in overcoming the wounds caused by the cowardly terrorist act. In a brief encounter with Mayor Giuliani and Gov. Pataki, he also assured them that the Archdiocese is ready to support their efforts in dealing with the crisis. A short prayer led by Roman Catholic Cardinal of New York Edward Egan for the victims of the tragedy followed. Also in attendance were many government officials, firefighters, police, and rescue workers.
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE PHOTOS
PRESIDENT BUSH tours the disaster site three days after the attack. Accompanying the President were several political and a number of religious leaders, including Archbishop Demetrios.
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Most Reverend Archbishop Demetrios of America, It is with deep pain and inexpressible sorrow that we express the wholehearted condolences of the Great and Holy Mother Church of Christ and of our Modesty to your beloved Eminence and the entire Christ loving Omogeneia of America, for the inhuman terrorist and criminal attacks which caused many innocent victims amongst the beloved American people. Every Christian soul unequivocally condemns this insane and criminal act and wishes wholeheartedly that God would disarm perpetrators of such acts in the future. May the good God console the grieving families of our brothers and sisters and grant rest to the souls of the victims. With deep brotherly love and esteem, ð Patriarch Bartholomew Fanar, September 11, 2001
LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH
IOCC Responding to National Tragedy BALTIMORE International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), in cooperation with its volunteers in New York, local Orthodox parishes and the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has begun emergency aid efforts for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack against the United States. Immediately following the devastating attacks, IOCC contacted Orthodox Christian churches in lower Manhattan to assess local needs and express support. All of us are deeply troubled by these unconscionable acts, said IOCC Board Chairman Charles Ajalat. In this time of uncertainty our prayers are with the families of those innocent people whose lives were taken and who were injured in these tragedies. We are assessing the current emergency needs in cooperation with local partners, said Ajalat. The situation is still unfolding, but it is clear that the needs will be tremendous. IOCC volunteer groups across America are working with local clergy and parishioners to collect funds. IOCC also dispatched an emergency response coordinator to New York, Dirk
Message of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Van Gorp, head of program development and emergency response, to work with local Orthodox parishes. Mr. Van Gorp and the volunteer committee held their first meeting Sept. 17 at Holy Trinity Cathedral. Those attending included Orthodox clergy, church leaders and volunteers with expertise in crisis counseling, social work and disaster management. This pan Orthodox response will become the basis for a permanent disaster response program. In addition to emergency aid, committee members discussed immediate and future requirements for trauma and pas-
toral counseling services to help survivors with emotional and spiritual distress. IOCC international headquarters in Baltimore has received many phone calls nationwide in support of its initiative to help the victims. IOCC, founded by SCOBA in 1992, is a member of Action By Churches Together (ACT), an international alliance of churches and relief agencies assisting people recovering from emergencies. To date, more than $100 million in relief and development assistance have been provided to more than 20 countries around the world, including the United States.
SAE Statement on Terrorist Attack The officers of the Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), in direct communication with Omogenia leadership, issued the following statement following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon: We express our deep regrets for the loss of so many lives and we hope that the number of those perished will be the smallest possible. We offer our deepest condolences to their loved ones along with assurance that our thoughts are with. We are appalled by this horrible assault and we condemn the cowardly act and its perpetrators. The Hellenic community, as part of the American people, fully
supports all action that will lead to the punishment of those responsible, said Andrew Athens, SAE President. The United States, is our country too, and as such, it needs our support to maintain its prestige around the world, to be able to offer its assistance to those who need it, and to continue working for world peace, added Chris Tomaras, SAE Vice President, Coordinator of the Americas Region. The Coordinating Council of SAE, together with the Greek American Organizations, is ready to provide the necessary support for the relief of all those victimized, Mr. Tomaras stressed.
Dear Mr. President, With deep sorrow and inexpressible affliction, we express to Your much beloved and learned Excellency our wholehearted compassion and deep sympathy on behalf of us and the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the inhuman, vulgar, and fully condemnable act of crime and terrorism, which surpasses all characterization, at the expense of the American people and democracy itself. We wish that God, by his fortitude, will hinder any further acts of terrorism, that he will comfort the mourning families of the victims, and that he will bring to their senses the fanatic enemies of humankind, the intending perpetrators of such inhuman acts. Thus, wishing all strength and encouragement to Your Excellency, as well as prosperity and a path without sorrow to the great American Nation, we remain with deep sympathy, love in the Lord, and heartfelt prayers. September 11, 2001 Your distinguished Excellency s Fervent supplicant before God, ð Bartholomew of Constantinople
To Our Readers On Sept. 11 the regular September Issue of the Orthodox Observer was well in its way and only a few days away from press time. The national tragedy and the response undertaken by Archdiocese required the full attention and coordinated efforts of all Archdiocesan departments and their staff. This was indeed the case for the Orthodox Observer and even more so, due the nature of our focus in newsgathering and dissemination. We tried to keep our parishes informed via faxed news bulletins and press releases and through the continuous update of the Archdiocese web page. In this special edition, we have tried to chronicle, not simply the tragic events in themselves, but also the response and actions of our Holy Archdiocese, as well as the care, the solidarity, the Orthodox Christian spirit and resolve demonstrated especially by our faithful, our parishes, our clergy and laity across the country.