Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, called for a renewed commitment to peace on Sunday as he marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Speaking in English from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square, the Chicago-born pope offered prayers for those who lost their lives and continue to bear the wounds of that day. "At a time when conflict and violence afflict so many of our brothers and sisters, I invite everyone to pray that the Lord will bestow his gift of peace upon the world," he said.
In 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 pope, then known as Robert Prevost, was in Rome attending an assembly of his Augustinian religious order on Sept. 11, 2001. He was serving as the Chicago provincial leader of the Augustinians at the time. Prevost was elected superior of the entire order on Sept. 14, 2001, his birthday, and served two consecutive terms until 2012.
Vatican News on Sunday republished excerpts from his first homily as superior, delivered on Sept. 21, 2001, in which he reflected on the attacks. "We cannot fail to remember the tragic events that shook the United States on Sept. 11," he said. "The violence that the world witnessed last week in the United States is a tragic expression of a series of problems that are becoming increasingly acute everywhere."
He also stated in that homily, "Hatred and violence will continue to grow as long as so many people are forced to live in extreme poverty and are oppressed by so many forms of injustice."