Pope Francis has condemned the “absurd violence” in Rouen, northern France, where a priest was killed at Mass on Tuesday by two armed men.
Fr Jacques Hamel, 84, died in the attack on the church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray by two armed men. They entered the building during Mass, taking the priest and a number of other people, including two nuns. According to reports, the priest died after his throat was cut.
French police shot the hostage-takers dead after elite police units stormed the building.
It was the first known attack inside a French church in recent times. One was targeted last year, but the attack never was carried out.
