On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The Chicago‑born pontiff, the first American to hold the papacy, used the occasion to call for a renewed commitment to peace.
He addressed crowds in English from the studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, delivering his first public comments on the anniversary after his customary noon blessing. He said, ‘Two days ago marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States of America. I renew my prayers for those who lost their lives and for those who continue to bear the wounds of that tragic day.’
The pope urged that, amid widespread conflict and violence, people pray for divine peace. Switching to Italian, he added, ‘The memory of the tragic events of 25 years ago pushes us to renew our commitment to peace, above all with prayer.’
The 2001 attacks occurred while the future pope, then known as Robert Prevost, was in Rome for an Augustinian assembly. He later became the order’s superior in September 2001 and served until 2012. Vatican News republished excerpts of his 21 September homily, in which he noted that hatred and violence would grow unless poverty and injustice were addressed.
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