Service remembers terror victims

The congregation remembered those who died

A packed congregation has gathered in London for a service to remember the victims of the 11 September attacks.

Later 50 relatives of Britons killed in the World Trade Center took part in a memorial service at the site of the suicide attacks in New York.

If we give into such a misguided, misdirected hatred we place ourselves on the low level of the terrorists themselves

Catholic Bishop Joseph A Fiorenza

The inter-denominational service took place in full view of the site where the remains of the twin towers lie smouldering.

In London, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, celebrated mass at Westminster Cathedral.

He told the BBC: "The church can't condone violence. All it can do I think at this stage in fact is draw on deeper things, on prayer, reconciliation, yes justice but a new world order."

During the service Catholic Bishop Joseph A Fiorenza, of Texas, warned the 1,400 people present that anger for what happened on 11 September should not translate into hatred for all Muslims.

He told the congregation: "We must be careful that this anger not be translated into a misguided hatred for them or Muslim people anywhere. If we give into such a misguided, misdirected hatred we place ourselves on the low level of the terrorists themselves."

Salvage halted

The service at Ground Zero was the first chance for many of the thousands mourners to see where their loved ones died.

The families of victims gathered in New York

Among the mourners were 50 Britons, relatives of the British dead, and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, representing the government.

For the second time since the towers collapsed, the salvage operation was halted so firefighters and police officers working in the debris could also attend.

So far a total of 4,964 people have been declared missing or dead.

Musicians at the service included Shonagh Daly, a 21-year-old Irish singer discovered by composer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber, who accompanied her as she sang Let Us Love Peace, from the musical The Beautiful Game.