“Saint Pope John Paul II was an ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings. The president and the first lady, who identifies as Roman Catholic, stood to face the media before facing the statue of John Paul II for a few minutes. John Paul II was a tireless advocate of religious liberty throughout his pontificate,” said the statement from the shrine, which did not address Floyd’s death or the related protests. The shrine, according to its website, “is a place of pilgrimage housing two first-class relics of St. John Paul II. One cannot imagine a worse insult to John Paul II’s memory than to hold a Trump re-election event at the saint’s shrine,” he told The Post in a statement.

Source: Washington Post June 02, 2020 13:14 UTC