US cardinal leads prayer for Floyd in Rome

During a solemn prayer service in Rome's historic centre, the highest-ranking American cardinal at the Vatican, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, deplored the death of George Floyd, calling it an "unjust death."

Floyd died on Memorial Day after a police officer put his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes while he was handcuffed and lying on the ground.

"Unfortunately, even among us Christians a distorted way of thinking can seep, one that leads us to identify ourselves with only one side, increasing the distance from those who are from the opposite side: wealthy vs. poor, intellectuals vs. uneducated, progressive vs conservative, whites vs blacks," said Cardinal Farrell.

"In so doing, we lose sight completely of the universal dimension of the message of Christ," he said.Listening in the front pews of Santa Maria in Trastevere Church were Ambassador to the Vatican Callista Gingrich and her husband, former US Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.  Both were socially distancing and wearing masks.

Farrell, an Irish-born naturalised US citizen and the former bishop of Dallas, prayed for Floyd, his family and all victims of injustice, and for peaceful, fraternal co-existence in America.

"Our nation, since its birth, has been multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious. The foundation on which it was built has been the equality of all men," he said. The mass was organised by the lay Catholic association, the Community of Sant' Egidio.The Rome-based community focuses on solidarity and peace across cultures.

(Image Credit: AP)