Pope Leo XIV Condemns ‘Pandemic of Arms’ After Tragic Minnesota School Shooting

VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV on Sunday issued a powerful appeal to end the “pandemic of arms,” both large and small, as he offered solemn prayers for the victims of a devastating school shooting in Minnesota, United States. Speaking from his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square, the first U.S. Pope denounced the “logic of weapons” fueling global conflicts and expressed profound sorrow for the recent tragedy.

The Pope’s address followed a horrific incident last Wednesday, where two children were killed and 20 people injured during a Mass at the Church of Annunciation in Minneapolis. Hundreds of students from the adjacent Annunciation Catholic School were gathered when a shooter fired 116 rifle rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows before dying by suicide.

Pope Leo XIV, who had previously sent a telegram of condolence, reiterated his spiritual closeness to those affected and called on God to halt the global spread of weaponry. He also opened his Sunday appeal by urging an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and a serious commitment to dialogue from all warring parties, emphasizing that “the voice of weapons must be silenced.” The tragic events have once once again reignited the contentious debate over gun control in America.

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