Pope Francis 'Saddened By Shocking Violence' Over Islamic State's Beheading of Ethiopian Christians

Pope Francis and other world leaders have spoken out condemning the recent killing of dozens of Ethiopian Christians at the hands of the Islamic State.

A video recently uploaded by the Islamic State's social media platform shows members of the terrorist group's Libyan affiliate allegedly beheading 30 Ethiopian Christians on a Mediterranean beach. The video also shows another group of Islamic State militants shooting Ethiopian Christians dead as a method of execution.

The pontiff reportedly expressed his sadness over the killings in a recent message sent to Patriarch Abuna Matthias of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church.

In the message, the pope condemned the "continuing martyrdom" of Christians at the hands of the Islamic State.

"With great distress and sadness I learn of the further shocking violence perpetrated against innocent Christians in Libya," Francis added.

"I reach out to you in heartfelt spiritual solidarity to assure you of my closeness in prayer at the continuing martyrdom being so cruelly inflicted on Christians in Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia," the pope continued.

"The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard by everyone who can still distinguish between good and evil. All the more this cry must be heard by those who have the destiny of peoples in their hands," he added.

The United Nations security council also condemned the recent video, describing it as evidence of "the heinous and cowardly apparent murder" of dozens of Ethiopian Christians, adding that the Islamic State "must be defeated and that the intolerance, violence and hatred it espouses must be stamped out."