Pope Francis Called El Paso Bishop After Prayer Demonstration

The United States has seen massive marches and protests in every single state over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. People from all walks of life have come together to show their support for the family and demanding justice for a man who will never be forgotten. At several of the protests, mourners are kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time that elapsed while the officer kneeled on Floyd's neck. At a protest right here in the Sun City, the Diocese of El Paso honored George Floyd by kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The moment was captured on camera, and the highest position in the Catholic church took notice.

On Wednesday morning, Pope Francis called Bishop Mark Seitz to thank him for his act of solidarity according to diocese spokesman Fernando Ceniceros. Ceniceros told the El Paso Times that the call lasted a few minutes but was filled with gratitude, and Seitz said he wanted to show the church was unified with those suffering. Pope Francis let Bishop Seitz know that the Vatican was in solidarity with those in El Paso who took a knee during that peaceful protest that day. The Pope has released a statement on the death of George Floyd and the violent protests that we've seen across the United States. Pope Francis said that we can't turn a blind eye to racism happening in this country and that we must pray for reconciliation and peace. You can see Pope Francis' statement in the tweet below.