Just two days after a horrific knife attack in a mall, Sydney has been beset by another stabbing incident.
This time, a man was seen stabbing a bishop giving a sermon at a church in a suburb of the Australian city.
Source: X
The alleged attacker is in police custody.
Video images of the incident being circulated online show a priest identified as Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel giving a sermon at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney.
Source: X
While he is speaking, a man calmly approaches the pulpit and the bishop glances up at him.
Source: X
The man then suddenly raises his right arm and brings it down repeatedly on the bishop, who recoils as he tries to avoid him. Stabbing sounds can be heard.
Source: X
The shocked congregation can be heard screaming and many of them rush forward to help.
Source: X
Another video posted on X, purportedly showing the aftermath of the incident, depicts a man being restrained on the floor by a police officer.
Source: X
Yet another video showed a woman pressing tissue paper onto the bishop’s forehead in an apparent attempt to stop the bleeding.
On Monday (15 April), the New South Wales (NSW) Police Force posted on X that it had been called to the scene of an incident at Wakeley, a suburb of Sydney, at 7.10pm local time.
Source: NSW Police Force on X
The location was a church where a number of people had been stabbed, it said.
A man was arrested and those injured suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the statement added. They were sent to hospital.
The police also advised the public to avoid the area.
Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley had posted on Facebook that they would be holding a live-streamed service at 7pm, adding that it would be conducted by Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel.
While the livestream is no longer on Facebook, the church posted an update at 8.32pm saying that the Bishop and a priest had been admitted to hospital and are in stable condition.
Source: Christ The Good Shepherd Church on Facebook
The two holy men asked for prayers for the perpetrator of the attack, and asked people who had gathered at the church premises to “leave in peace”.
They were ostensibly referring to the large crowd that had reportedly gathered in front of the church after the incident.
Videos posted on X show a rowdy and vocal crowd outside the church, where several police vehicles were also seen.
Source: X
Some people threw things at the police vehicles.
Source: X
Police officers were at the scene, trying to maintain order.
Source: X
In an update on X at 8.31pm, the NSW police said it is continuing to work on restoring order.
Source: NSW Police on X
The man they arrested has been removed from the church and “taken to an undisclosed location”, it added.
Four people in total were injured in the attack, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
Besides two men in their 50s and 30s, who were taken to hospital, paramedics were also treating two other men.
One of them, who is in his 20s, suffered lacerations to his hand. The other man, in his 60s, had lacerations on his arm.
All the injuries have been deemed as non-life-threatening.
Also read: 38-year-old mother dies protecting baby in Sydney mall attack, among 6 fatalities
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Featured image adapted from X.
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