In post-9/11 ritual, state's religious leaders to gather
The leaders of the major religious denominations of Massachusetts plan to gather today in a show of unanimity five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
The group, which is broader than any that had met locally before the terrorist attacks, has been gathering annually since the fall of 2001, when Cardinal Bernard F. Law called the leaders together to speak out against possible hate crimes against Muslims prompted by the attacks. They gathered several times in the fall of 2001, and held a public prayer on City Hall Plaza on the first anniversary of the attacks; their meetings since then have been private.
At today's gathering, which is to take place at the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox diocese in Brookline, the leaders plan to pray together, issue a statement, and hold a news conference. At the meeting, they plan to discuss concerns about the state of religious communities in Massachusetts .
``We're going to be releasing a text about shared values that people of faith have, as an appeal from inter-religious leaders," said the Rev. Diane C. Kessler, the longtime executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, which is a coalition of Protestant and Orthodox Christian churches. ``We've met at least once a year, and our purpose is really to touch bases periodically to get a sense of the well-being of religious, racial, and ethnic communities in the Commonwealth. But the very act of getting together is also very important. That had not been going on before September 11th."
The participants are to include a broad array of Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and representatives of other faiths have been invited. The event will also mark one of the first major public interfaith appearances by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Boston, who has been less of a visible leader in interfaith relations than Law was. O'Malley's three-year tenure has been dominated by the abuse crisis, parish closings, and other issues.
Michael Paulson can be reached at mpaulson@globe.com. 