Pope Francis says George Floyd’s death is ‘sin of racism,’ calls unrest ‘disturbing’

Pope Francis spoke about George Floyd for the first time on Wednesday, calling his death “a result of the sin of racism.”

Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him at the neck for several minutes on May 25.

Francis, who said he was praying for Floyd, also expressed “great concern” over the “disturbing social unrest” that has gripped the nation over the last few days.

“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,” Francis 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.”

Protests, most of them peaceful, have been held across the United States in the wake of Floyd’s death, with many people calling for an end to police brutality against African-Americans. Demonstrations have turned violent at times as police and protesters clash, and some people have vandalized property and stolen from retail stores.

Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer seen on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than 8 minutes, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.

This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 8:44 AM with the headline "Pope Francis says George Floyd’s death is ‘sin of racism,’ calls unrest ‘disturbing’."