Pope Francis condemns Libyan ISIS slayings

Pope Francis deviated from a planned address Monday to comment on the killing of Egyptian Christians in Libya by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

{mosads}”Their only words were: ‘Jesus, help me!’ They were killed simply for the fact that they were Christians,” he said while speaking to members of the Church of Scotland, according to Reuters.

“The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out be heard. It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians!”

On Sunday, ISIS released a video showing the beheading of a group of captured Egyptian Coptic Christians. Egypt quickly retaliated, striking ISIS targets in Libya.

Christians are a minority in Egypt. Those killed are believed to have been laborers who were captured while looking for work in Libya.