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PARIS (ChurchMilitant.com) - A French cardinal has openly called the God of Islam, Allah, the "God of death" and even compared Allah to the pagan god Moloch, who demanded human sacrifice.

Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, spoke during a homily at a memorial Mass Wednesday celebrated for Fr. Jacques Hamel, the priest whose throat was slit by Islamic terrorists during Mass Tuesday morning.

"Those who wrap themselves in the trappings of religion to mask their deadly project," he said. "Those who want to announce to us a God of death, a Moloch that would rejoice at the death of a man and promise paradise to those who kill while invoking him, these cannot expect humanity to yield to their delusion."

The comparison between Allah and the pagan god Moloch is an especially severe one. Moloch was a god known for demanding countless infant sacrifices and is often identified as the ancient Canaan and Phoenician god Baal, who is often used as a symbol by many satanist groups.

The cardinal then said that to fight the despairing message of Islam, the Catholic faith must counteract that with the Gospel.

"It is this hope that animated the ministry of Fr. Jacques Hamel when celebrating the Eucharist during which he was brutally executed," he remarked. "It is this hope that sustains Eastern Christians when they have to flee persecution and choose to leave everything rather than renounce their faith."

Cardinal Vingt-Trois ended his homily with a strong and emphatic message rallying the faithful to be courageous and to believe the Catholic Church will prevail. Quoting the prophet Jeremiah, he urged, "Though they fight against you, they shall not prevail, for I am with you, to save and rescue you, says the Lord. I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked, and ransom you from the power of the violent. My rampart is the God of love."

In a July 28 homily, the cardinal openly criticized the the lack of courage in French society when it comes to facing the threat of Daesh, otherwise known as ISIS.

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