French Mayor announces memorial ceremony to honour slain priest

The mayor of the small French town rocked by a gruesome attack on a Catholic church announced on Wednesday (July 27) a ceremony on Thursday to honour the memory of slain priest Jacques Hamel.

Hamel was killed when two knife-wielding men stormed into his church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray during morning mass on Tuesday, slitting his throat and holding three other churchgoers hostage.

The two attackers were shot and killed by police after they exited the church shouting “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”).

Mayor Hubert Wulfranc said the demonstration would take place in a local park, and would be attended by local politicians and the archbishop of neighbouring city Rouen.

The church attack is the latest in a string of deadly assaults in Western Europe including the mass killing in Nice, southern France, on Bastille Day 13 days ago and four incidents in Germany, most recently a suicide bombing at a concert in Ansback on Sunday.