Santa Clara, 05 Oct 2001- We speak as leaders from diverse religious faiths and backgrounds, but we speak of what we hold in common as sacred.

We speak of our common deep love for the human family. We share the shock, the horror, and the inexpressible pain at the horrible events of September 11th. We offer our sympathy and support to all the victims, their families, friends and loved ones. The magnitude of the suffering and grief, which our whole human family feels at this time, is almost unbearable, yet we have no choice but to bear it and, share it. So we speak of our common deep love for the human family, and commit our prayers and our actions to paths of compassion and healing.

We speak of our common unwavering loyalty to the beauty and diversity of our own local community. We stand united against any words or acts of hatred to people of any national, ethnic or religious group. We pledge ourselves to teach and cultivate tolerance and respect for all, no matter the color of skin, clothes worn, or language spoken. These are times when, understandably, fear is near and nerves are raw, so these are times when we are called even more urgently to practice basic human kindness, and to care for one another as sisters and brothers of one human family. So we speak of our common unwavering loyalty to the beauty and diversity of our own local community and commit ourselves in thought, word and deed to respect and safeguard that diversity as it is embodied in neighbor, stranger or friend.

We speak of our common deep belief in the sanctity of every human life. The devastating loss of life on September 11th strengthens within us our resolve to protect the freedom, well being and dignity of every human being, and to treasure the wondrous and vulnerable gift of life we have been given and are called to share. Every citizen of every country is someone's parent, child, sister or brother, friend or loved one. So we speak of the sanctity of every human life, and call upon ourselves and our leaders to respond to this tragedy in ways that will bring the perpetrators to justice, but will not cause the loss of more human life. We must not increase the suffering and the sorrow with more destruction and death. As a nation and a people we must act in ways that show wisdom and sanity, which bring justice and life.

Finally, we speak of the dimension of our religious faiths and spiritual teachings which calls us to love our enemies, to return evil with good, to overcome hate with love, the dimension of our religious faiths and spiritual teachings which calls for peace. Such a mandate is there in each of our traditions. Such a mandate is always difficult, but, for many of us, has never been as difficult as it is in the wake of this tragedy. Yet, because we are people of faith, we are compelled to speak today for peace. We call upon leaders of all our nations to immediately cease all talk of and preparation for war and any actions that will perpetuate the cycle of violence and revenge. It is time to say, in the words of Oscar Romero, "No" to violence and "Yes" to peace.

Our world is too dangerous for anything but peace, too small for anything but love, too diverse for anything but deep human respect.