Pope Leo XIV asked people “to plead with God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world” as he prayed for “the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass” in Minnesota last week and for “the countless children killed and injured every day around the world” by these weapons.

Speaking in his native English, he issued his appeal for a stop to “the pandemic of arms” at midday on Sunday, Aug. 31, when he addressed thousands of pilgrims and Romans gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer and to receive his blessing.

He added: “May our Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, help us to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.’”

He prayed, without naming them, for the children that were killed in the church shooting in Minneapolis, who have been identified as Fletcher Merkel, eight, and Harper Moyski, 10, and for those injured there.

Significantly, he said he also included in his prayer “the countless children killed and injured everyday around the world,” without specifying in which countries. It is reasonable to assume that he had in mind the more than 18,000 Palestinian children killed, and many more injured in Gaza by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, 2023, including many in recent days in Gaza City, according to the enclave’s ministry for health, whose figures are considered generally reliable by the United Nations and World Health Organization.

An estimated 3,000 children have also been killed or injured in the war in Ukraine since Russia invaded that country on Feb. 24, 2022, including in recent days, and in his message today Pope Leo spoke explicitly about Ukraine, as he also did last Sunday on the 34th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union.

“Sadly, the war in Ukraine continues to sow death and destruction. Even in recent days, bombings have struck several cities, including the capital Kyiv, causing numerous casualties” he said. “I renew my closeness to the Ukrainian people and to all the injured families” and “I ask everyone not to give in to indifference, but to draw close to them through prayer and concrete gestures of charity.”

Aware of the international efforts to broker a peace accord including by President Trump and European leaders, Pope Leo said, “I strongly reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate ceasefire and a serious commitment to dialogue. Now is the time for those responsible to renounce the logic of weapons and take the path of negotiation and peace, with the support of the international community.”

Leo, who from his very first speech as pope called for peace in a world torn by war, today again insisted, “The voice of weapons must be silenced, while the voice of fraternity and justice must be raised.”

Speaking in Italian this afternoon, the pope also mentioned the more than 50 migrants who drowned in a shipwreck in the Atlantic on Friday, Aug. 29, as they headed in a boat to the Canary Islands, which are Spanish territory. He said: “Our hearts are also wounded by the more than fifty people who died and the one hundred or so still missing following the shipwreck of a boat carrying migrants attempting the 1100 kilometer journey towards the Canary Islands, that capsized off the Atlantic coast of Mauritania.”

In an appeal to care for migrants, Pope Leo, the descendant of migrants like Francis, his predecessor, said, “This deadly tragedy is repeated every day all over the world. Let us pray that the Lord will teach us, as individuals and societies, fully to put into practice his words: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35).

He entrusted “all our injured, missing and dead, everywhere, to our Savior’s loving embrace.”

Finally, he reminded people that tomorrow, Sept. 1, is the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. He recalled, “Ten years ago, in harmony with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Pope Francis established this day for the Catholic Church.” He emphasized that this is now “more important and urgent than ever” and said this year’s theme is “Seeds of Peace and Hope.”

Pope Leo said Catholics worldwide, “together with all Christians,” celebrate and pray throughout the “Season of Creation,” which lasts until Oct. 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. He concluded, “In the spirit of the Canticle of Brother Sun, which he composed 800 years ago, we praise God and renew our commitment not to ruin his gift but to care for our common home.”