Leaders Pray at National Cathedral
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2001 — -- Political and religious leaders joined together today for an interfaith service at the National Cathedral and vowed to fight terrorism.
President Bush told Americans to continue relying on prayer to "help us last through the day or endure the night" in the wake of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
"Just three days removed from these events, Americans do not yet have the distance of history, but our responsibility to history is already clear," Bush said. "To answer these attacks and rid the world of evil. War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder."
In a ceremony punctuated by prayer and patriotism, the congregants wept and hugged as "God Bless America" and hymns rang through the cathedral. Bush was joined by his father, former President Bush, and former Presidents Clinton, Carter and Ford, as well as members of Congress and Cabinet members.
Religious leaders of all faiths took the pulpit for prayer, including a Muslim imam, Muzammil Siddiqi, who offered prayers and verses from the Koran. Arab-Americans and Muslims have been targets of revenge assaults, despite pleas by political leaders who have urged against such prejudices.
Rabbi Joshua O. Haberman, rabbi emeritus of Washington's Hebrew congregation, called for peace.
"We as Americans reaffirm our faith and our hope that security and peace will be fully restored in our country," he said. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His steadfastness never comes to an end."
Among those leading the congregation in prayer was Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington. His nephew, Michael Lynch, is among the firefighters still missing amid the rescue efforts at the World Trade Center.
The Rev. Billy Graham, who has been struggling with Parkinson's disease, delivered a sermon.
"We come together today to re-affirm our conviction that God cares for us, whatever our ethnic, religious or political background may be," said Graham. "We are facing a new kind of enemy. We are involved in a new kind of warfare. And we need the help of the spirit of God."
Related Stories
ABC News Live