The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has called on clergy, monastics and lay faithful to commemorate in prayer the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as the United States marks the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

The appeal was issued by Metropolitan Tikhon, Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, who urged Orthodox Christians to remember those who died while resisting the temptation to allow grief and anger to give rise to hatred or despair.

September 11, 2001, remains one of the darkest days in modern U.S. history. Terrorists hijacked four commercial aircraft. Two crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, while a third struck the Pentagon near Washington. The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to prevent the hijackers from reaching their intended target.

A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks. The victims included citizens of dozens of countries. Thousands more were injured, while many first responders and others who worked at the World Trade Center site later suffered serious health consequences. Deaths linked to illnesses associated with exposure at the disaster site have continued to be recorded years after the attacks.

In his message, Metropolitan Tikhon noted that memories of September 11 remain painfully vivid for many people, while an entire generation of Americans has now grown up without personal memories of the events.

“In the Church, memory is not simply a recollection of the past,” the metropolitan said. Through prayer, he explained, Christians entrust the departed to God’s mercy, pray for their families and loved ones, and ask God to heal their own spiritual and emotional wounds.

Metropolitan Tikhon urged the faithful not to allow suffering to become a source of bitterness, hatred or hopelessness. Instead, he said, tragedies can, through God’s grace, become occasions for compassion, repentance and forgiveness.

“Our world remains troubled,” the OCA primate said, pointing to continuing wars, violence and the suffering of civilians. In such circumstances, he argued, Christians are called to resist fear and preserve their faith.

The anniversary of September 11 also falls during the Orthodox Church’s preparation for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Metropolitan Tikhon drew attention to the connection, emphasizing the Christian belief that suffering and death do not have the final word.

The Cross, he said, reminds Christians that even after His Resurrection, Christ retained the wounds of His Crucifixion. Those wounds became a sign of His victory over death and His love for humanity.

On the 25th anniversary of the attacks, Metropolitan Tikhon called on Orthodox Christians to pray not only for those who died, but also for their families, survivors, first responders and all those who continue to bear the consequences of the tragedy.

“May the memory of those who perished be eternal, and may the God of all consolation grant healing, peace and hope to all,” the metropolitan said.