Diane Foley, whose son James was executed in 2014, said she took no satisfaction from the killing by drone strike of her son's killer, the man dubbed "Jihadi John".

"How can it give me joy that this deranged, sad young man was killed?" she said.

"I do not want to be caught in their cycle of hate because that is not what gives me life."

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Last week, Mr Foley's parents John and Diane Foley told media of their gratitude for the Pope's concern, expressed during a long phone call on August 21.

"Pope Francis was so dear because he is grieving himself, having just lost three members of his family and (with) his nephew critically ill," Mrs Foley said on NBC's "Today" show.

"Here in the midst of his tremendous grief, he took the time to call.

"Our whole family was there, one of our beloved priest friends . . . was there, my brother-in-law spoke in Spanish to him. He was just so kind."

The wife and two young children of the Pope's nephew, 35-year-old Emanuel Horacio Bergoglio, were killed in a car crash on August 19 in Argentina.

Bergoglio was critically injured.

John Foley said on the "Today" show that "we felt very comforted and supported" that the Pope offered his personal prayer.

On August 21, Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi told the press that Pope Francis called to console the family for their loss and assure them of his prayers.

Passionist Fr Ciro Benedettini, assistant director of the Vatican press office, told reporters the next day that the conversation was "long and intense".

Pope Francis was particularly "struck by the faith" of the late journalist's mother, the spokesman said.

The Pope spoke with the parents through an interpreter.

"Pope Francis, like Jesus, loves, like Jim. He understood Jim's heart," Diane Foley said afterwards, referring to her son, who "was able to draw strength from prayer" during his capture.

She said love and compassion had drawn her son to cover the plight of the people in Syria, which has been embroiled in a violent conflict for the past several years.

The Foleys also said they were establishing a fund in their son's name and said they would continue to call for action from the international community.

"We must stand together," Diane Foley said.

"Good and love and all that is free in the world must be together to fight the evil and the hatred."

Sources

• Catholic News Service
• Reuters
• Image: Scottish Catholic Observer

James Foley, 40, was the oldest of five children in a Catholic family in New Hampshire.

Working for the Global Post and AFP, he was kidnapped in Syria in 2012.

Commenting on his shocking killing, the Pope's senior communications advisor Greg Burke pointed to an article wrote describing Mr Foley's faith in captivity.

Mr Foley wrote for Marquette University, where he once studied, describing how his faith sustained him when he was previously kidnapped by pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya in 2011.

After being in captivity for 45 days, Mr Foley wrote: "I prayed my mom would know I was OK. I prayed I could communicate through some cosmic reach of the universe to her.

"I began to pray the Rosary. It was what my mother and grandmother would have prayed. I said 10 Hail Marys between each Our Father.

"It took a long time, almost an hour to count 100 Hail Marys off on my knuckles. And it helped to keep my mind focused.

"Clare (my colleague) and I prayed together out loud. It felt energising to speak our weaknesses and hopes together, as if in a conversation with God, rather than silently and alone."

He wrote that prayer enabled his inner freedom.

After the Islamic State posted the video of Mr Foley's murder online, his mother, Diane, wrote on the Free James Foley Facebook page: "We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages."

"Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world.

"We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person."

Mr Foley's family was visited by their parish priest on August 19, who left without speaking to reporters.

Islamic State has threatened to kill other kidnapped journalists unless the US stops airstrikes against their forces in Iraq.

US President Barack Obama said that "no just God" would stand for what the jihadists had done.

"ISIL speaks for no religion. Their victims are overwhelmingly Muslim, and no faith teaches people to massacre innocents. No just God would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every single day," he said.

Sources

• The Tablet
• Catholic Herald
• Marquette University
• Image: Marquette University