SYDNEY — Horrified worshipers watched on-line and in individual as a bishop was stabbed on the altar throughout a church service in Sydney on Sunday night, and three others have been stabbed as folks rushed to assist. Police stated there have been no life-threatening wounds, and a person was arrested.

A whole bunch of indignant folks hurried to the Orthodox Assyrian church and a few clashed with riot police, with automobiles broken. The church and native leaders pleaded for calm. “A big police response is underway and the general public is urged to keep away from the world,” police stated.

The Christ the Good Shepherd in suburban Wakely streams sermons on-line, and a video on social media reveals a person wearing black approaching a cleric recognized because the bishop and showing to stab him repeatedly within the head and higher physique.

Members of the congregation are seen screaming and dashing to cease it. The church recognized the bishop as Mar Mari Emmanuel.

Authorities didn’t instantly report a motive for the assault. Australians have been nonetheless in shock after a lone assailant stabbed six folks to loss of life in a Sydney shopping center on Saturday and injured greater than a dozen others. There was no speedy indication the 2 stabbings have been linked.

Police requested the media not disclose the place the person arrested had been taken, apparently to keep away from additional protests.

The church in a message on social media stated the bishop and a senior priest, Isaac Royel, have been in steady situation at a hospital and requested for folks’s prayers. “It’s the bishop’s and father’s needs that you just additionally pray for the perpetrator,” the church’s assertion stated. “We additionally kindly ask anybody on the church premises to go away in peace.”

The NSW Ambulance service stated it handled a person in his 50s for a number of cuts and three others have been handled for a number of cuts.

The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, described the scenes as “disturbing” on social media and urged the group to stay calm and “stick collectively.” Non secular leaders expressed shock and condolences.

Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone, chief of the neighboring municipal authorities, described the bishop as a group chief. “It is a very emotional state of affairs. Clearly the group may be very upset,” Carbone instructed Sky Information.

Christ the Good Shepherd had been making ready for Palm Sunday later this month.

The bishop, described in native media as a determine generally seen as divisive on points akin to COVID-19 restrictions, was featured in nationwide information final 12 months.

A video posted in Could 2023 by the Australian Broadcasting Company a couple of marketing campaign concentrating on the LGBTQ+ group confirmed the bishop in a sermon saying that “when a person calls himself a lady, he’s neither a person nor a lady, you aren’t a human, then you’re an it. Now, since you’re an it, I cannot deal with you as a human anymore as a result of it’s not my selecting, it your selecting.”