Church service for US victims

The service took place at St. Giles Cathedral

A remembrance service dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attacks in the US has taken place in Edinburgh.

The ecumenical service was conducted by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The Right Reverend John Miller was joined by Bishop Joseph Devine of the Roman Cathoic Church and the Primus of the Scottish Episopal Church, Bishop Bruce Cameron.

He said the congregation at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh had been brought together by "shared distress".

John Miller: "Cloud of death"

The Right Reverend Miller said: "There is no hiding from the horror of what has taken place.

"We cannot erase the image of the aircraft disappearing through the glass walls of the towers, nor the realisation that their cargo of precious lives was annihilated in the exploding flames, flames which themselves spelt death for so many.

"In William Golding's modern parable of good and evil, Lord of the Flies, the horror and cruelty of evil is symbolised by the `fall through the air of the true wise friend' - whose life was extinguished in that fall.

"We cannot erase the image of the falling of perhaps thousands in the collapse of the entire twin towers."

Reverend Miller paid tribute to the "hundreds of brave, self-sacrificing men and women in emergency services" who were "enveloped in the terrible cloud of death" when both towers collapsed.

Military force

He said: "How we wish we could hide from it all. But we cannot."

Mr Miller also called upon world leaders to exercise caution in their planned response to the terrorist atrocities.

He said: "Never have we asked more of our political leaders.

"For it is on their shoulders that the responsibility bears down.

Liane Dorsey: Consul-General

"It is their words which will become military force, and will respond to the deeds of Tuesday.

"They have said distinctly that `This is war'. They have the capacity to order the exercise of massive force.

"But the character of the war is not yet clear, nor has the enemy been identified with any certainty.

"And we hope and pray that the next steps down the road will not bring death and destruction on other innocents, other civilians going about their daily lives."

America's Consul-General in Edinburgh, Liane Dorsey, also attended the service.

Services were also held at Ely Cathedral, in Cambridgeshire, and York Minster.