El Paso bishop receives a supportive call from Pope Francis after he kneeled for BLM protests with 12 other priests – as the Catholic leader dedicates ‘relatively rare’ prayer for George Floyd
- Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz, of the Diocese of El Paso, was joined by 12 other priests as they knelt in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds
- The group had their eyes closed as they held signs that read ‘Black Lives Matter’
- They also had on masks and held white roses in their hands
- Two days after the clergy’s demonstration, Seitz received a call after Mass from Pope Francis
- ‘Through me, he’s expressing his unity with everyone who is willing to step out and say this needs to change,’ Seitz said
- According to Vatican analyst John Allen, Pope Francis dedication to addressing Floyd’s death is ‘relatively rare’
A bishop in Texas received a call of support from Pope Francis after he was pictured kneeling during Black Lives Matter protests that have swept across the country following the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz, of the Diocese of El Paso, was joined by 12 other priests as they knelt in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds – the amount of time Officer Derek Chauvin stayed on Floyd’s neck.
The group had their eyes closed as they held signs that read ‘Black Lives Matter.’ They also had on masks and held white roses in their hands.
Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz, of the Diocese of El Paso, was joined by 12 other priests as they knelt in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds
The group had their eyes closed as they held signs that read ‘Black Lives Matter.’ They also had on masks and held white roses in their hands
Others at the demonstration held signs that read ‘I want to breathe.’
Two days after the clergy’s demonstration, Seitz received a call after Mass that he was not expecting.
Pope Francis was soon expressing – in Spanish – how grateful he was for Seitz’s response, CNN reports.
‘Through me, he’s expressing his unity with everyone who is willing to step out and say this needs to change,’ Seitz said.
Others at the demonstration held signs that read ‘I want to breathe’
Two days after the clergy’s demonstration, Seitz received a call after Mass that he was not expecting. Pope Francis was soon expressing – in Spanish – how grateful he was for Seitz’s response
‘This should never happen again. Wherever there is a lack of respect for human beings, where there’s a judgment based on the color of their skin, this has to be rooted out.
‘Whether it’s in law enforcement, in business, in government, in any aspect of our society, this has to change. And now we know very clearly that the Holy Father is making this his prayer.’
Pope Francis has been extremely vocal about the death of George Floyd, calling it ‘tragic.’ While praying at the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis offered prayer for Floyd and ‘all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism.’
Pope Francis has been extremely vocal about the death of George Floyd, calling it ‘tragic.’ While praying at the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis offered prayer for Floyd and ‘all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism’
According to Vatican analyst John Allen, Pope Francis dedication to addressing Floyd’s death is ‘relatively rare.’
‘We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form,’ Pope Francis has said on Twitter.
‘At the same time, we have to recognize that violence is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost. Let us pray for reconciliation and peace.’
‘We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form,’ Pope Francis has said on Twitter