France commemorated this July 26 the tenth anniversary of the martyrdom of Father Jacques Hamel, the 85-year-old priest murdered by two Islamist terrorists while celebrating Holy Mass at the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, in Normandy. Ten years after the attack that shocked the Church and all of France, the faithful, civil authorities, and ecclesiastical representatives took part in various tribute events to remember a priest whose cause for beatification remains open after being recognized as a martyr by Pope Francis.
The commemorative events brought together, among others, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the French Episcopal Conference; the Archbishop of Rouen, Msgr. Dominique Lebrun; Roseline Hamel, sister of the murdered priest, and former French president François Hollande, head of state at the time of the attack.
A decade since the murder that shocked the Church
The day began with a silent march that followed the same route Father Jacques Hamel took on the morning of July 26, 2016, from the parish house to the church where he celebrated what would be his final Eucharist. Later, the Parvis Jacques-Hamel, a public space dedicated to his memory, was inaugurated before the celebration of a Mass presided over by Cardinal Aveline.
Father Hamel was murdered by jihadists Adel Kermiche and Abdel-Malik Petitjean, who stormed the church during the Mass and slit the priest’s throat. They took those present hostage and gravely wounded one of the faithful before being shot dead by police as they left the church.
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This crime was one of the most shocking attacks carried out against the Church in contemporary Europe and highlighted the persecution that Christians on the continent also suffered at the hands of Islamist terrorism.
The recognition of his martyrdom
Just weeks after the murder, Pope Francis publicly referred to Father Jacques Hamel as a “martyr” and, exceptionally, authorized the opening of his cause for beatification without waiting the usual five-year period. The process is currently ongoing in the diocese of Rouen.
The figure of the French priest has become a symbol of priestly fidelity and total self-giving. His death, which occurred while he was offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, continues to be remembered as a testimony of faith lived to the extreme.
The forgiveness of his sister
If the murder of Father Hamel shocked France, his family’s response also left a profound Christian testimony. His sister Roseline Hamel, now 86 years old, chose to forgive the killers and, over time, developed a friendship with Nassera Kermiche, the mother of one of the terrorists.
As a result of that encounter, both published the book Sisters in Pain (Sœurs de douleur), in which they recount how two families marked by the same tragedy found a path to reconciliation. Ten years after the attack, Roseline once again took part in the commemorative events, remembering her brother and once more offering a testimony of forgiveness born of the Christian faith.