Pope Leo XIV prayed for victims of the Minnesota Catholic school mass shooting and urged an end to the "pandemic of arms, large and small." The Annunciation Catholic school church attack in Minneapolis killed two children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, and injured 18 others after the shooter fired 116 rifle rounds through stained glass windows and then died by suicide. The incident intensified debate over US gun control, with Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey calling for policy solutions rather than thoughts-and-prayers responses. The pope initially offered condolences by telegram and imparted an Apostolic Blessing to the affected community and region.
Pope Leo XIV called for the pandemic of arms, large and small to end during a weekly public prayer with crowds in St Peter's Square on Sunday that also addressed the plague of mass shootings in the US. The first US pope in history, a native of Chicago, spoke in English as he prayed for the victims of last week's shooting during a Catholic school mass in Minnesota which saw two children killed and others seriously injured.
Fletcher Merkel, eight, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed in the shooting on Wednesday at the Annunciation Catholic school church in Minneapolis and 18 people were injured. The shooter fired 116 rifle rounds through the church's stained glass windows before he died by suicide. The shooting has reignited debate over guns in the US after the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey, called for solutions on gun control rather than the thoughts and prayers statements often made by Republicans.
The pope had initially refrained from political commentary in response to the shooting, offering condolences by telegram, stating he was saddened by the terrible tragedy. While commending the souls of the deceased children to the love of Almighty God, His Holiness prays for the wounded as well as the first responders, medical personnel and clergy who are caring for them and their loved ones.
Collection
[
|
...
]