Pope Leo urges end to ‘pandemic of arms’ in prayer for Minneapolis shooting victims

Published August 31, 2025 10:34am ET



Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the “pandemic” of weapons Sunday morning as he prayed for the victims of the Annunciation Catholic School shooting in Minneapolis.

In his weekly Angelus prayer, Leo, the first American pope, prayed for the two children who were killed and the 18 people who were injured by a gunman who opened fire in Annunciation Catholic Church on Wednesday morning.

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