An Orthodox Assyrian Bishop was stabbed while giving a sermon that was being broadcast live in the second knife assault to have happened in Australia’s capital in three days.
A second man was stabbed and injured during the attack at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney on the night of 15 April. The suspected attacker, a 16-year-old boy, was arrested at the scene, and his victims are expected to survive.
Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher called the stabbings of Orthodox Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Father Isaac Royel “shocking”, with the attack causing “distress to many in the community”.
Emmanuel was born in Iraq, and is known to preach Christianity to both Muslims and Jewish people.
“It does appear to be religiously motivated, but we continue our lines of investigation,” said Mike Burgess, the director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the nation’s main domestic spy agency.
“Our job is to look at individuals connected with the attacker to assure ourselves that there is no-one else in the community with similar intent. At this stage, we have no indications of that,” he said.
In a statement, Fisher said houses of prayer have traditionally been places of refuge and sanctuary, “and so the video footage of the attack upon a religious leader during a religious service inside a church has been especially confronting.”
He added: “We have seen these types of events in other countries but, up until now, Australia has been largely free from this type of blatant violence in and around places of worship.”
Maronite Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, head of the Catholic Maronite Eparchy of Australia, said they “unequivocally denounce violence in all its forms and expresses deep concern over the incidents” that took place Monday night.
“We call on everyone to remain calm, refrain from resorting to violence or retaliatory behaviours, and engaging in gossip and speculation,” he said in a statement.
After the attacker was arrested at the scene, angry crowds congregated outside the church chanting “Bring him out” as the police held the suspected attacker, reports the Daily Telegraph. Hundreds of people tried to push past a phalanx of riot police to reach the suspect. Officers with riot shields pushed them back.
“As a community we must work together to de-escalate tensions and I ask everyone to heed the calls of our governments and NSW Police, exercise prudence and follow police direction,” the Maronite bishop added.
“We are reassured that Mar Mari Emmanuel and all those injured are in stable condition. We fervently pray for their complete healing and recovery, and I will be reaching out to check on their wellbeing,” Tarabay said.
“Please join me in continued prayer for everyone impacted and for our state. It is imperative that we continue to work together to foster peace and to actively strive to be peacemakers. May the love of our Lord Jesus Christ guide our actions as we navigate through these challenging times,” he said.
The suspected attacker had been convicted in January of a range of offences including possession of a switch blade knife, being armed with a weapon with an intention to commit an indictable offence, stalking, intimidation and damaging property, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
In response to the attack, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “There is no place for violence in our community. There’s no place for violent extremism.”
The attack in the church came just two days after a 40-year-old knifeman killed six people in a stabbing rampage at Sydney’s Westfield shopping centre in Bondi Junction over the weekend, reports the Daily Telegraph. A dozen people were also injured before the attacker, a Queensland man reported to have mental health problems, was shot dead.
The church attack happened in a suburb called Wakeley, about 18 miles to the west of Bondi Junction.
In his statement, Fisher said every person in Australia – “be they bishop or priest, rabbi or imam, minister or congregant” – should be able to worship in safety, without fear that they might be subject to acts of violence while gathering in prayer.
“I urge the faithful to not respond to these events with fear, avoiding places of worship because they are worried about further attacks, nor with anger, engaging in acts of reprisal or revenge. The best response to violence and fear is prayer and peace,” the archbishop added.
“On behalf of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, and in solidarity with other religious leaders, I offer prayerful support to Bishop Emmanuel, Father Royel and all others affected. May the God of peace reign in our land,” he said.
Photo: A woman reacts as she carries flowers to lay outside Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s western suburb of Wakeley,16 April 2024. Australian police on April 16 said a brutal knife attack during a live-streamed church service was a religiously motivated “terrorist” act, as they urged calm from the angered local community. (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images.)
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