Weigel says US has not learned 9/11 lessons 25 years later

Several weeks after the attacks, George Weigel sat at dinner in the papal apartment with John Paul II and three close associates. The usual warmth at that table had given way to quiet reflection on the events that had struck New York and Washington. John Paul II turned to Weigel and asked what the attacks meant for the world. Weigel answered that the day marked a turning point in history, an instance of evil working through a distorted form of monotheism, and a possible occasion for moral clarity in the United States. He added that any response must follow just-war principles rather than revenge, and that the stakes involved the possibility of order itself. Weigel noted that Osama bin Laden was a wealthy man and that claims linking terrorism to poverty only clouded the picture. John Paul II listened as the conversation turned to the challenges facing both the Church and the United States. Twenty-five years later, Weigel observed that the hoped-for moral sobering in American public life had not taken hold. National unity visible in the weeks after the attacks gave way to division, conspiracy theories, and a retreat from steady engagement with the world. Efforts to address the religious roots of jihadism also stalled. Pope Benedict XVI later tried to open a serious conversation at Regensburg about reason and faith, yet many Western governments continued to treat religious conviction as a minor factor in global affairs. One clear point of resolve remained. The passengers aboard United 93 consulted one another and chose to fight rather than allow their plane to become a weapon against the Capitol. Their action saved lives and preserved a symbol of self-government. Weigel returned to that decision as a reminder that ordinary people can still act with courage when larger systems falter. The memory of their choice stands apart from the broader record of unlearned lessons.