Over 2,000 people at mass for murdered priest in terrorist attack in France

The Rouen Cathedral is expected to be packed today with people who came to pay their last respects to the French priest who was murdered during mass in a terrorist attack a week ago, reports the British Guardian, according to NAP.

The funeral of Father Jacques Hamel, which will be held under special security measures, will also be attended by the French Minister of Interior, Bernard Cazeneuve.

Father Hamel (85) was one of 6 people held hostage by two men who declared allegiance to the so-called Islamic State and stormed the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

The 19-year-old attackers, Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean, forced the priest to kneel before slitting his throat, and then stabbed one of his elderly parishioners. Sister Danielle, one of the three nuns present, managed to escape and call for help. The attackers were killed as they left the church.

Kermiche and Petitjean, who are believed to have met for the first time just days before the attack after connecting via the encrypted messaging app Telegram, had attempted to join ISIL in Syria. Kermiche is a former detainee who was released pending trial for two attempts to join jihadists. He was wearing an electronic tag during the attack. 

The mass preceding the funeral will begin at 2:00 PM and will be led by the Archbishop of Rouen, Dominique Lebrun. Around 2,000 people are expected to attend the mass, which will also be broadcast on screens set up outside the cathedral for hundreds of people outside. Father Hamel will then be buried in a private family ceremony.

Mohammed Karabila, the imam of the mosque in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, will also attend the funeral.

The president of the Muslim community of Rouen, Bachar El Sayadi, stated on this occasion:

- French Muslims share the same joys and sorrows as all citizens of this country. That is why it is important that we are all together.

He also appealed for donations to help Father Hamel's family.

Local Muslims have opposed suggestions that Kermiche could be buried in the town where he murdered the priest.

- Given that he is a terrorist who did so much evil, he deserves no respect, Karabila told radio Europe 1. "His remains should be buried elsewhere. There will be no official representative from the mosque for him, nor a prayer in the mosque," Imam Karabila was categorical.

City authorities have not yet decided whether to allow the terrorist to be buried in their district.

Meanwhile, three men are in the custody of the anti-terrorist police, under investigation for suspected links to the attack.  One of them, the 30-year-old cousin of attacker Petitjean, has been charged with "association with criminals in connection with an illegal terrorist organization.".

The public prosecutor stated that the suspect "was perfectly aware of the imminent violent plan of his cousin," adding that a search of his phone and computer revealed that he "knew much more than he was willing to tell the police.".

A 17-year-old who attempted to reach Syria with Kermiche in 2015 before being arrested in Switzerland, and a 19-year-old have both been arrested.