Last week, I wrote a piece for America asking whether the shooting at a Catholic school in Minnesota—during a school Mass, no less—would prompt the first American pope to speak out against gun violence. Would he avoid an overtly political message in an effort to keep lines of dialogue open across the political spectrum? First, the American pope spoke in his native language, which he does not often do. His decision to speak English to deliver this message, therefore, reveals that he wanted it to reach the United States. The decision to speak out strongly against arms may also show that Pope Leo has become more comfortable expressing his opinion publicly from the throne of St. Peter.