Pope Francis has denounced the slaying by the Islamic State of Egyptian Copts in Libya, saying they were "assassinated just for being Christian."
Francis spoke off-the-cuff Monday during an audience with a Scottish ecumenical delegation. He said: "They only said 'Jesus help me ...' The blood of our Christian brothers is testimony that cries out. Be they Catholic, Orthodox, Copts, Lutherans, it doesn't matter: They're Christian!"
Militants in Libya affiliated with the Islamic State group released a video late Sunday purporting to show the mass beheading of Coptic Christian hostages held for several weeks.