Pope Francis blesses relatives of two British hostages killed by terror group ISIS

Pope Francis gave his blessing this week to relatives of two British hostages killed last year by members of the extremist group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church spoke bereaved family members of British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, in front of rain-soaked general audience at the steps of St. Peter Basilica in Vatican City.

According to a report on The Huffington Post, Pope Francis broke protocol by doing this, since such a meeting was usually "reserved for visiting prelates."

The same newspaper report quoted Michael Haines, whose brother David was decapitated by the ISIS last September, as saying that his meeting with Pope Francis "took his breath away."

"He said he was going to pray for me to continue the work that we're doing on unity and tolerance and bringing our communities together," Michael said in the report.

After his meeting with the Pope, Michael also pledged to "make a stand against hatred, against intolerance" propagated by Islamic militants.

"What they are doing to my society, in Britain, is far, far worse than what they did to my brother. They're trying to turn people against each other," Michael said.

Pope Francis was also seen placing the sign of the cross on the forehead of Barbara Henning, Alan Henning's widow.

The two British aid workers were both murdered by ISIS members last year, more than a year after they were abducted by the extremist group from Syria. They were both in Syria to help refugee camps and bring them food and water.

Pope Francis has earlier condemned the "intolerable brutality" of the ISIS.