Pope Leo XIV has called on the world to face what he termed the “pandemic of arms,” after a deadly school shooting in Minnesota killed two children and injured several others. Addressing crowds in St Peter’s Square at his weekly prayer, the pontiff addressed the world’s toll of gun violence directly, including the burgeoning epidemic of mass shootings in the United States.
First US Pope Speaks Out Following Minnesota Massacre
The massacre occurred on Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis when eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and ten-year-old Harper Moyski were gunned down. The gunman fired over 100 rounds of rifle fire into the stained-glass windows of the church during a school mass before taking his own life. Eighteen other people were injured in the attack, which has reopened America’s contentious gun control debate.
Departing from his customary restraint when it comes to political issues, Pope Leo, the first pope born in America prayed in English for victims, their families, and the community. “Let us ask God to end the pandemic of arms, great and small, that infects our world,” he exclaimed, declaring the attack part of a greater crisis that far exceeds US borders.
Appeals for Peace Beyond America
As he spoke on the Minnesota tragedy, Leo broadened his call to international conflicts by demanding an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. He appealed to both parties to leave “the logic of weapons” behind and sign up for dialogue supported by the international community. “The voice of weapons has to be silenced, while the voice of fraternity and justice has to resound,” he stated.
His words resonate with those of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who earlier had condemned the weapons trade as “merchants of death” who were enriching themselves out of people’s misery. Francis had also famously asked US lawmakers in 2015 why weapons were being sold “purely for money drenched in innocent blood.”
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Renewed Debate Over Gun Reform
The Minnesota tragedy has once again brought America’s gun culture into the limelight. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey took issue with the pattern of “thoughts and prayers” expressed after mass shootings, calling on lawmakers to act to implement real gun reforms. As America leads the world in mass shootings, the pope’s comments lend spiritual heft to a debate long stymied by politics.
For Pope Leo XIV, however, the problem is not merely a question of US gun control but a wider moral challenge to disarm a violence-stricken world. His appeal framed the crisis of guns as a humanitarian and religious plague, one whose solution requires leaders and citizens to act immediately.
