As we marked the solemn anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001 — a day when terror shattered the illusion of security and claimed nearly 3,000 innocent lives — we are reminded that violence, in its many insidious forms, continues to plague our world today.
Fast forward 24 years, and our hearts ache again with fresh wounds: the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a university event in Utah, the senseless stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail; and the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where two young children were killed and 18 others wounded during an opening day school Mass.
These late summer tragedies underscore a persistent crisis of violence that transcends statistics and demands a profound spiritual response.
While the most recent data from the FBI and independent analyses indicate a decline in overall violent crime rates in the United States — with national violent crime dropping an estimated 4.5% in 2024 compared to 2023, and homicides falling below pre-pandemic levels in many cities — this offers little consolation amid the rising prominence of mass shootings, political extremism, and random acts of brutality.
As Catholics, we must confront this not merely as a societal ill but as a moral and spiritual failing, rooted in the rejection of God’s gift of human dignity.
The teaching of the Church says “peace is not merely the absence of war” but the fruit of justice and charity.
Pope Francis, whose legacy endures under Pope Leo XIV, repeatedly called for a “culture of nonviolence,” urging us to reject violence in all forms, from domestic abuse to armed conflict, reminding us that it is incompatible with the Gospel.
In Pope Francis’ messages, he emphasized that true peace begins in the home and extends to global relations.
Echoing this, Pope Leo, in response to the Minneapolis tragedy, implored us to “stop the pandemic of arms, large and small,” entrusting victims to Mary, Queen of Peace, and invoking Isaiah’s vision of swords beaten into ploughshares.
In these dark times, we find hope in the resurrection: Christ conquered death and violence on the cross, offering us the grace to do likewise.
Let us heed Pope Leo’s call to entrust suffering children to Mary’s protection and work for a world where peace will always win out.
Violence may simmer, but through faith, we can douse its flames.
As St. John Paul II proclaimed, “Do not be afraid!”
Let us be strong in our faith.