9/2/11: Bloomberg Bans Clergy from 9/11 Ceremony

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:00 — 1.4MB)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will not reconsider his decision to exclude clergy from the ceremony marking 10 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The statement comes despite increased pressure from religious and conservative leaders.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said Americans “turned to God for solace” after the 2001 attacks, and clergy were intimately involved in helping the nation heal. He added, “Unfortunately, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would have us look the other way.”

Catholic League President Bill Donohue also urged the mayor to reverse course. And City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who is a pastor, has launched a petition on his website urging Bloomberg to “allow prayer to be included in the 9/11 ceremony.”