Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, called for a renewed commitment to peace on Sunday as he commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on his home country. The Chicago-born pontiff delivered his remarks in English at the conclusion of his traditional Sunday noon blessing from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. Two days prior marked a quarter-century since the devastating 2001 attacks. Leo stated that he renewed his prayers for those who lost their lives and those who continue to bear the physical and emotional wounds of that tragic day. Noting that conflict and violence currently afflict many people around the world, he invited everyone to pray for the divine gift of global peace. Speaking in Italian, he emphasized that remembering the tragedy pushes humanity to renew its commitment to peace, particularly through prayer. On Sept. 11, 2001, the man formerly known as Robert Prevost was in Rome attending an assembly of his Augustinian religious order while serving as the Chicago provincial leader. He was subsequently elected superior of the entire order on Sept. 14, holding the position for two consecutive terms until 2012. Vatican News republished excerpts from his first homily as superior, delivered on Sept. 21, 2001, in which he reflected on the attacks. In that early homily, he noted that the violence witnessed in the United States was a tragic expression of escalating global problems. He warned that hatred and violence would continue to expand as long as widespread extreme poverty and injustice persisted. Historically, two popes have visited the Ground Zero site in New York: Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 and Pope Francis in 2015.
Source: cbsnews.com
