Pope Francis on Wednesday called all types of racism intolerable while condemning the "tragic" death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer as well as the violent reactions that have followed.
"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," Francis said during his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican.
"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."
His Holiness' comments come after protests rippled across the United States for an eighth straight night in the name of Floyd, a 46-year-old father who died while in the custody of Minneapolis police on Memorial Day.
Video of the deadly confrontation, leaked online just a day later, shows Floyd begging for his life while an officer kneels down on his neck for nearly nine minutes. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital a short time later.
This marks the first time Pope Francis has spoken on the matter, according CNBC. He dedicated his entire English-language section of his scheduled audience to the unrest raging across the United States.
He joins a growing group of religious leaders who have spoken out against police brutality and racism in recent days _ including those in Washington, D.C., who slammed President Donald Trump's use of use religious symbols as props amid racial tensions and national turmoil.
The pope additionally requested that Americans ask God for "the national reconciliation and peace for which we yearn" and asked the Virgin Mary to "intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world."
