VATICAN CITY

POPE Benedict XVI insisted that violence must never be carried out in God’s name as he marked the tenth anniversary of the 11 September attacks with a message to the United States.

In a letter to New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, head of the US bishops’ conference, Benedict said he was praying for the thousands of innocent victims of the “brutal assault” and said he hoped their families find some consolation.

He said the tragedy of 9/11 was compounded by the attackers’ claim to be acting in God’s name. “Once again, it must be unequivocally stated that no circumstances can ever justify acts of terrorism,” Benedict wrote. He called for a greater commitment to justice and a “global culture of solidarity” to rid the world of the types of grievances that spark such acts of violence. Benedict prayed at Ground Zero during his 2008 visit to New York.