Pope Francis called for national reconciliation in the United States on Wednesday. He broke his silence on the tensions in the US, which has seen eight nights of protests over the death of a black man in police custody, by dedicating the entire English-language section of his weekly audience to the turmoil there.

Francis said he was praying for all who died as a result of the “sin of racism,” including 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,” the pontiff said.

“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 noted.

Source: RT