VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis urged Americans on Sunday to shun violence, seek reconciliation and protect democratic values, following the mob attack on the US Capitol building by supporters of President Donald Trump that left five people dead. "I repeat that violence is self-destructive, always. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost," the pope said in his Sunday address. It was the second time in as many days that the pope, who visited the United States in 2015 when Barrack Obama was president, spoke out on the violence in the Washington, D.C.

He said he wanted to send "an affectionate greeting" to all Americans whose country had been "shaken by the recent siege on Congress".