Pope Leo XIV has sent a telegram of condolences over the shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, calling it a “terrible tragedy” and saying he was praying for relatives of the dead and injured “at this extremely difficult time.”
Leo, history’s first American pope, said he was “profoundly saddened” to learn about the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School church. He sent his condolences “to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child.”
The Chicago-born Leo said he was praying for those injured and the medical teams and first responders at the scene, and for the broader Catholic community.
The telegram was signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and was addressed to Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
