Murder of Franciscan Father Confirmed

BBC is reporting this morning that the Vatican has confirmed that Father Francois Murad was shot in the head on June 23 in the convent of the Custody of the Holy Land in Ghassaniya:

The Custody of the Holy Land, a Franciscan order which is the official custodian of religious sites in the Middle East, had also issued a statement two days after Fr Murad's death saying Islamists shot him.

"Islamists attacked the monastery, ransacking it and destroying everything," it said. "When Father Francois tried to resist, defending the nuns, rebels shot him."

The beheading video showing two prisoners yet to be identified being executed by rebels is apparently from several months prior to Father Francois' murder.