Vatican formally recognizes 21 Coptic Orthodox killed in Libya as martyrs, gives them feast day

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is formally recognizing 21 Coptic Orthodox workers who were beheaded by Islamic militants in Libya as martyrs. Pope Francis announced the inscription of the workers in the Roman Martyrology, the compendium of saints celebrated liturgically in the Catholic Church. He made the announcement during a Thursday audience with the Coptic Orthodox pope, Tawadros II. During the audience, Francis kissed relics of the 21 young men, most of them Egyptians, that Tawadros offered him as a gift. Islamic State militants beheaded the workers on a beach in Sirte, Libya in February 2015. The men’s bodies were recovered in 2017 and returned to Egypt, where a church was built in their hometown to honor them.