{"id":362,"date":"2025-08-31T15:33:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T15:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/pope-leo-pandemic-of-arms-minneapolis\/"},"modified":"2025-08-31T15:33:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T15:33:18","slug":"pope-leo-pandemic-of-arms-minneapolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/pope-leo-pandemic-of-arms-minneapolis\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Leo XIV denounces &#8216;pandemic of arms&#8217; after Minneapolis school Mass shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>Speaking in St Peter\u2019s Square on <time datetime=\"2025-08-31\">Sunday<\/time>, Pope Leo XIV \u2014 the first US-born pontiff, from Chicago \u2014 appealed for an end to what he called a \u201cpandemic of arms\u201d as he prayed for victims of last week\u2019s shooting during a Catholic school Mass in Minneapolis that left two children dead and 18 others injured.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Pope Leo XIV addressed crowds in St Peter\u2019s Square and urged an end to the \u201cpandemic of arms, large and small.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>He prayed for the Minneapolis church community after a school Mass where two children were killed and others seriously wounded.<\/li>\n<li>The victims were identified as Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10; 18 additional people were injured.<\/li>\n<li>Authorities said the gunman fired 116 rifle rounds through stained-glass windows before dying by suicide.<\/li>\n<li>Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey called for concrete gun-control solutions rather than only \u201cthoughts and prayers.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>The pope had earlier sent a telegram offering condolences and an Apostolic Blessing to the Annunciation Catholic School community, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and the wider Twin Cities.<\/li>\n<li>During the same address, the pope urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and a renewed commitment to negotiations.<\/li>\n<li>His predecessor, Pope Francis, repeatedly condemned the arms trade, calling gun manufacturers \u201cmerchants of death\u201d in a 2015 address to the US Congress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Verified Facts<\/h2>\n<p>During his weekly public prayer with pilgrims in Vatican City, Pope Leo XIV spoke in English to mourn the victims of a shooting that took place during a school Mass in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He urged the faithful to pray for the dead and injured and pressed world leaders and communities to curb the spread and use of weapons, warning of a \u201cpandemic of arms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The incident occurred on Wednesday at the Annunciation Catholic school church in Minneapolis. Two children \u2014 Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10 \u2014 were killed. Eighteen others were injured. According to authorities, the attacker fired 116 rifle rounds through the church\u2019s stained-glass windows before dying by suicide.<\/p>\n<p>The violence has rekindled national debate over gun policy. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey urged lawmakers to prioritize actionable measures on guns instead of issuing statements of sympathy alone. The United States continues to experience a far higher share of mass shootings than other countries.<\/p>\n<p>Before Sunday\u2019s remarks, the Vatican conveyed condolences via telegram, noting prayers for the wounded, first responders, medical staff, clergy, and families. The pope imparted his Apostolic Blessing to the Annunciation Catholic School community, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and the broader Twin Cities region.<\/p>\n<p>In the same appearance, the pope called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, urging both sides to \u201crenounce the logic of weapons\u201d and pursue negotiations supported by the international community.<\/p>\n<h2>Context &#038; Impact<\/h2>\n<p>Pope Leo XIV\u2019s appeal aligns with longstanding Catholic teaching on peace and the sanctity of life. It also echoes Pope Francis\u2019s frequent criticism of the global arms economy and his 2015 admonition in Washington that profits from weapons sales come at the cost of innocent blood.<\/p>\n<p>While papal interventions do not set public policy, they can shape moral discourse. The call to end the \u201cpandemic of arms\u201d adds ecclesial weight to an already urgent American debate over access to firearms, school safety, and community violence prevention.<\/p>\n<p>Locally, the pope\u2019s Apostolic Blessing aims to offer spiritual support as the Annunciation community and the Archdiocese coordinate grief counseling, memorials, and pastoral care. Nationally, the incident may intensify pressure on officials to consider measures that address both the supply of guns and the conditions that enable mass violence.<\/p>\n<h3>Official Statements<\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cLet us stop the pandemic of arms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Pope Leo XIV, St Peter\u2019s Square<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe need solutions, not only thoughts and prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Jacob Frey, mayor of Minneapolis<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The Holy Father imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace, fortitude, and consolation.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Vatican telegram (condolences)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: What is an Apostolic Blessing?<\/summary>\n<p>An Apostolic Blessing is a papal benediction invoking spiritual comfort and grace. It is often extended to communities affected by tragedy, as a sign of solidarity and prayer from the pope.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h3>Unconfirmed<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Investigators have not publicly detailed the shooter\u2019s motive.<\/li>\n<li>The specific make and model of the firearm, and how it was obtained, were not reported in the cited accounts.<\/li>\n<li>The precise format of the papal address (e.g., Angelus) was not specified.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Bottom Line<\/h3>\n<p>Pope Leo XIV\u2019s plea from St Peter\u2019s Square links a local tragedy in Minneapolis to a global call for disarmament and peace. By pairing prayers for grieving families with a demand to curb the spread of weapons \u2014 and a renewed plea for a Ukraine ceasefire \u2014 he placed the moral urgency of protecting children and civilians at the center of public debate.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Guardian<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Reuters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/content\/francesco\/en\/speeches\/2015\/september\/documents\/papa-francesco_20150924_usa-us-congress.html\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Vatican: Pope Francis\u2019s 2015 address to the US Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Speaking in St Peter\u2019s Square on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV \u2014 the first US-born pontiff, from Chicago \u2014 appealed for an end to what he called a \u201cpandemic of arms\u201d as he prayed for victims of last week\u2019s shooting during a Catholic school Mass in Minneapolis that left two children dead and 18 others injured. &#8230; <a title=\"Pope Leo XIV denounces &#8216;pandemic of arms&#8217; after Minneapolis school Mass shooting\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/pope-leo-pandemic-of-arms-minneapolis\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Pope Leo XIV denounces &#8216;pandemic of arms&#8217; after Minneapolis school Mass shooting\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Pope Leo XIV decries 'pandemic of arms' | NewsBridge","rank_math_description":"At St Peter\u2019s Square, the first US pope prayed for Minneapolis school-mass victims\u20142 children killed, 18 injured\u2014and urged an end to the 'pandemic of arms'.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Pope Leo XIV, Minneapolis school shooting, pandemic of arms, Minnesota, St Peter\u2019s Square, Ukraine ceasefire","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}