Pray for us, O holy Martyr of Christ

Fr Jacques Hamel, aged 85, was this morning murdered out of hatred of the Faith by two vile assassins (themselves sent to their eternal Judge shortly thereafter), in his church near Rouen, France, where he had been celebrating Mass. 

Without prejudging the verdict of the Church, we can but acclaim him as a martyr and ask his prayers, not least to deliver us from the twin scourges of Satanic barbarism and false religion. 

Those evildoers who seek to destroy Catholicism by terror and bloodshed only add lustre to the crown of Christ's martyrs in heaven, while condemning themselves to the darkest pit of hell forever: "Fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)