Statement of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Terrorist Attacks in the United States of America

Statement
of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia
and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
on the Terrorist Attacks in the United States of America

The terrible tragedy has happened in the United States of America yesterday. Never known in the history terrorist attacks took away lives of the thousands people. People all around the world watched a monstrous sight on TV, refusing to believe in the reality of what was happening. We saw burnt and destroyed houses, bloody bodies of the injured, tears of ordinary Americans and we cried with them.

Our people know what war, terror and violence are. Explosions of the dwelling houses also shook Russian cities and took away the lives of many our compatriots. Hundreds innocent people, including Orthodox and Muslim clergy were brutally killed in Chechnya. Orthodox shrines are still destroyed and peaceful citizens are still exposed to terror in Kosovo and Macedonia.

We are mourning over the innocently killed people and pray for their rest. Our special prayer is for the injured, for those who lost their relatives and friends, for those who are in fear and despair. May the Lord help our American brothers and sisters in their frightful test.

The Russian Orthodox Church resolutely condemns perpetrators of this barbaric crime. No matter how they would try to justify it, this crime will always be a sin against God and people, violating commandments of every religion. The latest events in America reminded to the world that terrorism can’t be suppressed within the boarders of one country or one region. This evil has become a disaster for the whole humankind, and we should struggle against it together.

This tragedy should sober the world. The governments and peoples should learn the important lesson and understand that they can’t lean on terrorism and lawlessness for reaching their political aims, they can’t justify and support criminal forces with the speculations about the human rights of those who don’t respect the rights and freedoms of the others, but sow death and destruction around them. Carrying out the orders of the evil will should be stopped or punished in the most strict way.

After yesterday’s catastrophe the world has changed. We saw the image of a war of the XXI century clearly as we faced one more most bold attempt to impose their own vision of the world order, rested upon their own religious views and world outlook, making their culture and lifestyle an absolute pattern for following. Let these tragic days make us reevaluate the modern world order and begin to create it the manner allowing peoples of the world live in accordance with their own traditions and aims, without exploitation and suppressing each other, but staying in peace and harmony.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of America. We wish them to heal their wounds and to return to peaceful and prosperous life. May the yesterday’s tragedy never be repeated anywhere. May the Lord grant the victory over terror to all nations of the world and make us work together in mutual support and trust for the common welfare. We believe that it will so happen as the Holy Bible says : “For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall possess the land”.(Ps. 37.9)