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Pope Francis calls George Floyd’s death ‘tragic’ and racism ‘sin’

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis spoke out from the Vatican, weighing in on the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, calling his death “tragic.”

The pontiff spoke as the eighth night of protests and violence spread across the U.S.

The pope said he is praying for Floyd and “all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism," CNN reported.

The comments came during his weekly Angelus prayer, Wednesday.

"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, the pope said, according to CNN.

“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,” he added.

“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 comments were posted to Twitter.

A Vatican spokesperson said the pope rarely mentions a person by name, saying it was a “special appeal,” CNN reported.

The U.S. isn’t the only country saying enough is enough when it comes to racism and police brutality. Protests have also been held in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.