Pope calls for a halt to the "epidemic of weapons" while offering prayers for the victims of the Minnesota school shooting incident
Pope Leo XIV Addresses Shooting in Minneapolis and Ukraine
Pope Leo XIV, the current Pope, addressed a pressing issue in the United States during his Sunday appeal, but not the shooting that occurred at the Church of Annunciation in Minneapolis. Instead, his focus was on the situation in Ukraine, calling for an immediate ceasefire and a serious commitment to dialogue from the warring sides.
In the aftermath of the Minneapolis shooting, where two children were killed and 20 people were injured, Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram of condolence focusing exclusively on the spiritual. He did not mention guns or the shooting in his Sunday appeal.
However, his predecessor, Pope Francis, has been a vocal critic of the weapons industry and the proliferation of arms. During his speech to the U.S. Congress in 2015, Pope Francis questioned why weapons were being sold to kill. He stated that the answer to this question is for money, which is often tainted with innocent blood.
Pope Francis has denounced gun manufacturers as "merchants of death" and emphasized the need to confront the problem of the arms trade. His call for action has not gone unnoticed, as the shooting in Minneapolis has reignited the debate over guns in America.
Those who support stricter gun laws often accuse Republican politicians of using "thoughts and prayers" as a distraction from inaction on gun restrictions. Pope Leo XIV, in a bid to show his solidarity, prayed publicly for the victims of the shooting during a Catholic school Mass in the United States.
The shooter in Minneapolis fired 116 rifle rounds through the church's stained-glass windows before dying by suicide. Pope Leo XIV, in response to this tragedy, called for an end to the "pandemic of arms, large and small." He urged a rise in the voice of fraternity and justice, and a silencing of the voice of weapons.
Pope Leo XIV's appeal was not just a plea for peace, but a call to action. He spoke in English during his Sunday noon blessing, making his message clear and accessible to a global audience. His words serve as a reminder that while we may be divided by borders and beliefs, we are united in our shared humanity and our desire for peace.
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