---
title: Pope Leo XIV expresses solidarity with victims of Krakow shooting that killed six
url: https://www.faithfulnews.com/en/pope-leo-xiv-expresses-solidarity-with-victims-of-krakow-shooting-that-killed-six
published: 2026-11-11T17:49:18+00:00
language: en
section: World Church
source: https://www.domradio.de/artikel/papst-leo-xiv-bekundet-solidaritaet-mit-opfern-von-krakau
publisher: FaithfulNews
---

# Pope Leo XIV expresses solidarity with victims of Krakow shooting that killed six

A gunman opened fire on a public square in Krakow on Saturday afternoon, killing six people and wounding fifteen others in what Polish officials described as an unprecedented terrorist attack. The 24-year-old shooter fired from a vehicle at pedestrians on the city's historic main square before two police officers stopped him with gunfire, sustaining serious injuries themselves.

The deceased included four women and two men, among them a British national. The wounded came from Germany, Austria, Britain, Portugal, and Russia, according to a regional spokesman. Police discovered three additional bodies at the attacker's residence in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city 180 kilometers northeast of Krakow: his parents and sister, all shot.

Poland declared a two-day national mourning period following the attack. Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Krakow that evening and stated that Poland had never experienced terrorism of such severity. President Karol Nawrocki issued a decree ordering flags at public buildings lowered to half-mast nationwide. Tusk called on all political factions not to exploit the tragedy for political purposes.

Pope Leo XIV expressed shock at the attack in a telegram sent Sunday through Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to Krakow's Cardinal Grzegorz Rys. The Pope assured the wounded and bereaved families of his spiritual solidarity and wished them Christian hope while urging all to remain steadfast in seeking peace and harmony.

Cardinal Rys declared that any person could have been on the square where bullets struck random, unsuspecting people. He emphasized the need for societal cohesion and warned that violence, aggression, and hatred had struck in ways transcending all boundaries. A service was planned for Sunday afternoon at the Marienkirche on the square to express solidarity with victims and resistance against hatred and violence.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also responded, writing to his Polish counterpart that Germany stood with Poland and its citizens in mourning and sympathy during this difficult hour.

## This story in other languages

- [Português (Brasil)](https://www.faithfulnews.com/pt-br/ataque-em-cracovia-deixa-seis-mortos-e-papa-expressa-solidariedade)