France buries priest slayed by Islamic militants

A picture of slain French parish priest Father Jacques Hamel is seen during a funeral service at the Cathedral in Rouen, France, August 2, 2016. REUTERS/Charly Triballeau/Pool

ROUEN, France (Reuters) - Mourners crammed into Rouen Cathedral on Tuesday for the funeral of the Roman Catholic priest knifed to death at his church altar, as France's political leaders sought ways to defeat home-grown Islamist violence.

Father Jacques Hamel was leading morning mass in the nearby industrial town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray last Tuesday when the attackers stormed in, forced the 85-year-old to his knees and slit his throat while chanting in Arabic.