Pope Francis Calls George Floyd’s Death ‘Tragic,’ Speaks Out Against ‘Sin of Racism’
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On Wednesday, Pope Francis addressed the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers during his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican, calling Floyd’s death “tragic” and speaking out against racism.
Francis offered his prayers for Floyd and “all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.”
“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,” he said.
“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. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost.”
CNN reported on Francis’ comments, noting that it was “relatively rare” for him to mention an individual person by name. A Vatican spokesperson said that it was a “special appeal.”
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