Sunday in Vatican City, Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the “pandemic of arms, large and small,” as he prayed publicly for the victims of a shooting during a Catholic school Mass in the United States.
History’s first U.S. pope spoke in English as he denounced the attack and the “logic of weapons” fueling wars around the world, during his noon blessing from his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
“Our prayers for the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the American state of Minnesota,” said the Chicago-born Leo. “We hold in our prayers the countless children killed and injured every day around the world. Let us plead God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world.”
Two children were killed Wednesday and 18 people were injured during the shooting attack at the Church of Annunciation in Minneapolis, as hundreds of students from the nearby Annunciation Catholic School and others gathered for the first Mass of the school year.
The shooter fired 116 rifle rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows, and later died by suicide.
In Minneapolis on Saturday, the pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church spoke in public for the first time since witnessing the tragic mass shooting.
"Difficult memory, it was loud, it just kept coming and my first instinct was just to rush towards where the bullet were coming from," said Father Dennis Zehren, who broke down and was comforted by Archbishop Bernard Hebda while he spoke.
"I could have got between those bullets and the kids," said Zehren. "That's what I was hoping to do."
Hundreds gathered at Annunciation's school auditorium for the church's first Mass since the shooting.
The shooting happened in the church, which police say remains off-limits because it is an active crime scene.
A memorial continues to grow outside the church in south Minneapolis.
At least seven of those who were wounded remain hospitalized.
Three of those hurt on Wednesday are adults in their 80's; one of them is hospitalized in serious condition.