Pope Francis has condemned the killing of George Floyd while speaking at the Vatican on Wednesday.
Pope Francis called for a national reconciliation amid the protests that have erupted in the US since the killing while condemning the violence that followed George Floyd’s death as “self-destructive and self-defeating.”
He said: “Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd,
“My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating.”
He also lead a prayer for Floyd “and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.”
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He prayed: “Let us pray for the consolation of their grieving families and friends and let us implore the national reconciliation and peace for which we yearn. May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world. May God bless all of you and your families,”
CNN Senior Vatican Analyst John Allen said it is “relatively rare” for the Pope to mention a specific person by name.
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