A letter of condolence from the family of murdered aid worker David Haines has been hand-delivered to the leader of the largest Christian minority group in the Middle East by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The note was among several letters presented to Bishop Tawadros, the Pope of Egypt’s Coptic Christians, after the slaughter of 21 of his followers in Libya.
The family of Mr Haines, whose teenage daughter and former wife live in Perthshire, are understood to have been moved to put pen to paper after the migrant Egyptian Coptic Christians were kidnapped and beheaded by Islamic State militants in February.
Mr Haines, 44, was seized in Syria in 2013.
The Haines family’s letter was delivered during a trip to Egypt by Archbishop Justin Welby, who has called for support for Christians facing persecution.
Last month, Mike Haines, David’s brother, met Pope Francis as part of a public appeal for greater inter-faith tolerance and unity against extremism.
Afterwards, Mr Haines posted online: “Seeing my position, Pope Francis took the lead and said he would pray for David, my family, and for me to continue my work of calling for unity tolerance and understanding.”
“The fact of such a great man showing such humanity, understanding and compassion humbled me beyond all other experiences. It was truly a wonderful experience.”