Pope calls death of George Floyd "tragic" and says racism is a sin

Pope Francis spoke out on Wednesday morning in the Vatican about the "tragic" death of George Floyd.

Speaking at his weekly Angelus prayer, the Pope 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. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost."

Francis added that he is praying for the “repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.”