Pope commemorates 9/11 attacks with prayers for peace and for those who died

Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, gathered on Sunday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on his home nation. While delivering his customary Sunday noon blessing from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square, the Chicago native spoke in English for the first time to honor the tragedy.

Reflecting on the anniversary, Leo renewed his prayers for the victims and those still bearing the scars of that fateful day. He urged all to pray for the gift of peace in a world marred by conflict and violence. In an address in Italian, the pope emphasized that the memory of the attacks 25 years prior should compel humanity to recommit to peace, particularly through prayer.

Before ascending to the papacy, Robert Prevost, the former Augustinian provincial of Chicago, was in Rome attending a gathering of his order when the attacks occurred. Elected general superior of the Augustinians on his birthday, a role he held until 2012, Prevost reflected on the tragedy in his first homily as leader of the order, delivered on September 21, 2001.

He lamented that the violence witnessed in the United States was a stark reminder of growing global problems, with hatred and injustice fueling ongoing conflict and suffering.