"Killing in God’s name is satanic," he said in his address which was attended by around 80 pilgrims from the northern French diocese of Rouen where the attack took place. "He was a martyr," he said of Hamel, describing him as a "good, gentle man" who had been killed "like a criminal. "How good it would be if all religious confessions declared that killing in the name of God was satanic. "The elderly priest was killed on July 26 while presiding over an early morning mass for a handful of parishioners in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.The pope’s early service on Wednesday was held in the chapel at St Martha’s, the boarding house where Francis stays and where a photo of the late priest was set upon the altar. "This cruelty which demands apostasy is, let us say it, satanic," he said.

Source: The Nation Bangkok September 14, 2016 07:30 UTC