Pope Leo XIV commemorated today the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, urging the international community to a renewed commitment to peace. The first American pope in history spoke from the window of the papal apartment, before thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square, in the Vatican, expressing solidarity with the affected families and survivors.
Leo XIV stated that the remembrance of the tragic event that occurred 25 years ago should lead to a renewed commitment to peace, especially through prayer entrusted to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. "I renew my prayers for those who lost their lives and for those who continue to carry the wounds of that tragic day," said the Pope, in English, inviting everyone to pray that the Lord grants the world his gift of peace.
On September 11, 2001, two planes hijacked by Al-Qaida terrorists struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing the collapse of the buildings; a third aircraft hit the Pentagon near Washington, and another crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In the attacks, 2,977 people died in the United States, mostly in New York, and more than 9,400 others died due to illnesses related to exposure to the consequences of the attacks.
The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, also marked the anniversary with a call to build bridges of understanding. "As conflicts intensify, let us renew our commitment to being instruments of Christ's peace in an increasingly fractured and divided world," he said, inviting all Catholics to pray for the victims, for the emergency personnel who lost their lives in acts of courage, and for the families in mourning.
