- Cindy Wooden, Vatican City, Catholic News Service (CNS)
Pope Leo XIV, praying publicly for the victims of the Minneapolis school shooting, also prayed for an end to the "pandemic" of gun violence.
After reciting the prayer of the Àngelus with visitors and pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on Aug. 31, Pope Leo switched from Italian to English as he led prayers for the Annunciation Catholic School community in Minneapolis, where two children were killed during Mass on Aug. 27 and 18 others were injured.
Remembering "the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the U.S. state of Minnesota," the Pope said, "We include in our prayers the countless children killed and wounded every day throughout the world."
For an end to Russia's war against Ukraine
"We beseech God to stop the pandemic of weapons, large and small, that infects our world," he said. "May our Mother, Mary, Queen of Peace, help us to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: 'They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.'"
Pope Leo also asked again the end of the war Russia against Ukraine, condemning new attacks on several Ukrainian cities, including Kiev.
"Sadly, the war in Ukraine continues to sow death and destruction," the Pope told thousands gathered for midday prayer.
"I renew my closeness to the Ukrainian people and all the wounded families," he said, and called on everyone "not to give in to indifference, but to reach out (to the Ukrainian people) through prayer and concrete acts of charity."
Ceasefire and commitment to dialogue
"I strongly reiterate my urgent call for an immediate ceasefire and a serious commitment to dialogue," he said. "It is time for leaders to abandon the logic of arms and embark on the path of negotiation and peace, with the support of the international community. The voice of arms must be silenced, while the voice of fraternity and justice must be raised."
Tragedy of drowned African migrants
Pope Leo also prayed for the African migrants who drowned on August 26 when their boat was shipwrecked off the coast of Mauritania while trying to reach the Canary Islands in Spain.
"Our hearts are also wounded for the more than 50 people who died and the nearly 100 who are still missing in the shipwreck of a boat" off Mauritania. The boat "was carrying migrants attempting to travel the 1100 kilometers (about 680 miles) to the Canary Islands, and capsized off the Atlantic coast of Mauritania," the Pope said.
"This deadly tragedy is repeated every day throughout the world," Pope Leo said. "Let us pray that the Lord will teach us, as individuals and as a society, to put his word fully into practice: 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me.'"
Speaking in English and Italian, the Pope commended all the 'wounded, missing and dead everywhere to the loving embrace of our Savior."
Prayer for the Care of Creation
September 1st is the World Day of Prayer for the Creation CarePope Leo recalled. Ten years ago, Pope Francis, in harmony with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, instituted this Day for the Catholic Church.
This celebration "is more important and urgent than ever, and this year's theme is 'Seeds of Peace and Hope. United with all Christians, we celebrate it and prolong it in the "Time of Creation" until October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. In the spirit of the Canticle of Brother Sun, composed by him 800 years ago, we praise God and renew our commitment not to spoil his gift, but to take care of our common home".
May the Church be a "workshop of humility".
In his address before the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV encouraged us to learn to serve like Christ and to look beyond ourselves. Leaning out of the window of the Apostolic Palace, the Pontiff reflected on the Gospel of the day, taken from the Evangelist Luke. Jesus is having lunch at the house of one of the chief Pharisees and observes "that there is a race to occupy the first places". And "by means of a parable, he describes what he sees and invites those who observe him to think".
The Holy Father addressed the Church in particular: "Let us pray today that the Church may be for everyone. a workshop on humilityThat is to say, that house in which we are always welcome, where places are not conquered, where Jesus can still take the Word and educate us in his humility and freedom.
Dignity of those who feel they are sons or daughters of God
"Those who exalt themselves, in general, seem to have found nothing more interesting than themselves and, deep down, have little self-confidence," the Holy Father continued.
"But those who have understood that they are very valuable in the eyes of God, those who feel that they are profoundly sons or daughters of God, have greater things to boast about and possess a dignity that shines by itself. That one is placed in the foreground, occupies the first place without effort and without strategies, when instead of serving situations, we learn to serve," he stressed.
