New York state and its Port Authority officials need to hang their heads in shame for the non-sympathetic attitude they have shown with respect to the thousands of innocent victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as well as to the need to build a new church that was destroyed in these attacks.
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center -- attacks by extremist Muslims -- resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans. Nevertheless, New York state and Port Authority officials are seriously considering building a mosque at this very site. To even consider having a mosque at this site shows a heartless and unsympathetic attitude and disrespect by these officials toward the innocent victims who were killed there on 9/11 by Muslim terrorists. Having a mosque at Ground Zero is a very similar situation to having a Nazi Monument next to the Holocaust Museum. Both of these ideas should be put to rest, because they are an insult to their victims.
Meanwhile, New York officials have shown little or no interest in rebuilding St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church -- a 300-member church that was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. The World Trade Center site's owner says a deal to help rebuild St. Nicholas Church was offered and rejected by leaders of the church, over money and other issues.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has denied that any offer had been rejected, and said the Port Authority withdrew its deal, and has since ignored the church's attempts at dialogue.
Consequently, an impartial mediator -- one agreed upon by both the church and the Port Authority -- should be authorized to hear all the facts on this situation, and to make a binding decision on what is a fair amount of money for the Port Authority to give the church. The mediator should also have the authority to decide other issues hampering the construction of the church, such as exactly where it will be built on Ground Zero.
Having an impartial mediator to decide what needs to be done to end the delay of rebuilding St. Nicholas Church is the most expeditious means to resolve the issues that have been lingering on between the church and Port Authority for nearly a decade.
In less than one month, it will be nine years since the September 11 terrorist attacks occurred. The parishioners of St. Nicholas Church have waited long enough -- too long, in fact -- for this church to be rebuilt.
Indeed, it is imperative that the leaders of St. Nicholas Church and the Port Authority, along with a mediator, come to a rapprochement and agree on a harmonious solution to this dilemma, so that -- without any further delay -- the construction of a new church can begin.
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The building of a new St Nicholas Orthodox Church at the WTC is an important issue. But we need to think outside the box. I think Fr Gregory Jensen's suggestion from his Koinonia blog is the best yet: an Orthodox temple for America, shared by all jurisdictions as a bold move toward true unity of purpose. Even the not-yet-Orthodox might be inspired to contribute to its constuction, if the vision of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is thereby announced unequivocally in Lower Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the proposed Cordoba Initiative site in the Burlington Coat Factory Building on Park Place is not "AT" Ground Zero but several block away by foot or taxi. Its proposed site is not visible from the WTC. We should not resort to rhetorical manipulations and inaccuracy in our advocacy for St. Nicholas Church.
I agree that Fr. Gregory Jensen's suggestion of having an Orthodox temple for America built in the Ground Zero area is a good idea. It certainly would enhance Orthodox unity, in addition to attracting converts to Orthodoxy.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I recently wrote of a similar idea on my blog in which Catholic and Orthodox bishops in Ukraine have broken ground for a unique joint Catholic-Orthodox Church. The article is titled "Orthodox, Catholic Bishops Unite in Ukraine; Agree to Joint Plan to Build Unique Church." I wrote this article on August 9, 2010. You can read it by clicking on its title in the right margin of this blog under the heading Blog Archive.