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Pope Francis on Monday expressed “profound sadness” over the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by Islamic militants in Libya, saying they had been killed for their faith.
His words:“They were executed for nothing more than the fact that they were Christians.
“The blood of our Christian sisters and brothers is testimony that cries out (to us),” the pontiff added.
“Be they Catholics, Orthodox, Copts, Lutherans, it does not matter. They are Christians, their blood is the same, their blood confesses (their faith in) Christ”
Meanwhile, Egypt launched air strikes against ISIS targets in Libya after the government vowed to avenge the death of its citizens.
The killings have been condemned around the world and were described as “barbaric” by Al-Azhar, the Cairo-based institution which is regarded as Sunni Islam’s leading theological authority.