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Leon XIV urges leaders to abandon arms and embrace peace
Vatican City – Pope Leon XIV on Sunday made a powerful appeal to the international community to put an end to what he described as the “pandemic of weapons,” lamenting the suffering of innocent children who are killed or injured every day in conflicts and acts of violence across the globe.
Speaking during the traditional Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the American-born pontiff said: “We include in our prayers the countless children killed and wounded every day in the world. Let us implore God to put an end to the pandemic of weapons, great and small, that poison our societies.”
The Pope paid particular attention to the war in Ukraine, just days after a Russian strike on Kyiv left at least 25 people dead, including four children. He once again renewed his “urgent call for an immediate ceasefire and a serious commitment to dialogue.”
“It is time for leaders to abandon the logic of weapons and choose the path of negotiation and peace, with the support of the international community,” Leon XIV declared.
The pontiff also expressed sorrow over the recent school shooting in Minnesota, United States, where two children lost their lives, underscoring that violence against the most vulnerable is a tragedy that transcends borders.