Five years after the assassination of Father Jacques Hamel in his church, a tribute to “the man of the Church and the committed citizen” was paid this Monday in Saint-Etienne du Rouvray, near Rouen (Seine-Maritime), in the presence of Gérald Darmanin, elected officials and faithful. “The government of the Republic commemorates its martyrs and there is no doubt that Jacques Hamel is one of them,” said the Minister of the Interior during a Republican tribute at the end of the religious ceremony.
“Islamist barbarism affects all the symbols that make up the West and France. The barbarism we are facing is a barbarism that is difficult to fight […] We still have to fight, strongly and for a long time, against those who use God to kill, ”added the Minister.
A modest and simple man
“Jacques Hamel was of a modesty and a simplicity which he never gave up,” underlined Hubert Wulfranc (PCF), mayor of the town at the time of the tragedy. The current mayor, Joachim Moyse (PCF) referred to the “man of the Church and committed citizen” who “carried a message of peace and hope”. “What is the great expectation of humanity, if not peace? », Had previously wondered, in his homily during the religious ceremony, the Archbishop of Rouen, Mgr Dominique Lebrun.
The ceremony took place in the presence of the few faithful who attended the mass celebrated by Father Hamel during the 2016 attack. Among them, Guy Coponet, himself seriously injured, and whose wife, in her side during the attack, died a few weeks ago, recalled Bishop Lebrun.
Speaking again during the republican homage, the prelate notably mentioned the possible beatification of Father Hamel, encouraged by Pope Francis. “The diocesan inquiry is completed, deposited in Rome. We have received acknowledgment of the validity of this survey. The rest is no longer ours, ”he said.
” Never forget “
On this anniversary, many personalities paid tribute to the priest murdered five years ago, including Prime Minister Jean Castex. “On July 26, the Nation collects and respectfully bows in memory of Father Jacques Hamel. (…) May his humanism and his message of fraternity guide us for a long time in the face of hatred and barbarism, ”tweeted Jean Castex.
On July 26, the Nation collects and respectfully bows in memory of Father Jacques Hamel, who fell, 5 years ago, under the blows of Islamist terrorism.
May his humanism and his message of fraternity guide us for a long time in the face of hatred and barbarism.– Jean Castex (@JeanCASTEX) July 26, 2021
“Murdered because he was a Christian. We must never forget that. My thoughts to his family and those close to him, ”reacted the Prime Minister at the time, Manuel Valls. “My thoughts go out today to his loved ones and to all the Christians of France who were so worthy in the ordeal. We do not forget them, ”tweeted for his part Bernard Cazeneuve, Minister of the Interior between April 2014 and December 2016.
Five years ago, Father Hamel was assassinated by an Islamist terrorist in his church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. My thoughts go out today to his loved ones and to all the Christians of France who were so worthy in the ordeal. We do not forget them.
– Bernard Cazeneuve (@BCazeneuve) July 26, 2021
Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, bruised by the attack of July 14, 2016, greeted Father Jacques Hamel “assassinated on July 26, 2016 by two Islamist barbarians in the church #SaintEtienneDuRouvray because he was Christian, and thoughts of Simone, Vincent and Nadine, killed in # Nice06 on October 29, 2020 for the same reason ”.
The 85-year-old priest had just finished his morning mass when he was killed with two stab wounds to the throat on July 26, 2016. The assassins, who claimed to be part of the Islamic State organization, were shot dead by the police when they leave the church. The trial of four people suspected of responsibility in the assassination of Father Hamel is scheduled before the special assize court in Paris from February 14 to March 11, 2022.