Vatican City, Jun 3, 2020 / 01:45 am
Pope Francis said Wednesday that he is praying for the soul of George Floyd and all victims of racism, adding that nothing is gained by violence.
"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," Pope Francis said in a video broadcast June 3.
"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," the pope said.
Pope Francis prayed for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron of the Americas, to intercede for peace, justice, and reconciliation in the U.S. at the end of his Wednesday audience, livestreamed from the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.