ROME, Aug 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday he was "profoundly saddened" by a shooting in a US church that killed two children and wounded 17 people.

The pontiff -- the first American to head the Catholic Church -- sent his condolences to "those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child", according to a statement put out by the Vatican.