Pope Francis says murdered French priest a martyr

Vatican: Pope Francis has declared 85-year-old French priest Father Jacques Hamel who was knifed to death at a altar by Islamist militants in July, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France a "martyr", and indicated that he is already on the road to sainthood.

Pope Francis spoke at a special Mass for pilgrims from Rouen, France where Islamist attackers stormed into the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, forced Father Jacques to his knees and slit his throat while they chanted in Arabic.

"He accepted his martyrdom there on the altar of Christ," Pope Francis said in his homily in the chapel of the guest house where he lives in the Vatican.

Speaking in Italian, Pope Francis said;

"He gave his life for us so as not to deny Jesus," 

"He is a martyr and martyrs are beatified".

Pope Francis in his sermon, also called on all religion to declare that "killing in the name of God is Satanic".

Beatification is one of the first steps in the intricate process leading to sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church.
A miracle is usually needed for a candidate for sainthood to be beatified. But the requirement can be waived if there is enough evidence that the person died a martyr.