Stabbed Bishop Returns To Pulpit With Fiery Message

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, the Sydney Assyrian bishop who was stabbed by a teenager weeks ago, is back  to the pulpit at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the southwest suburb of Wakeley.

GWG.ng reports that Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel wore a medical patch over his right eye as he stood in the same place where he was attacked, and declared: “In Christ we are one, in Christ we are always united regardless of what our differences are, as theological, dogmatic or kinetical differences, but in Christ we are always united.”

In reference to the attack, allegedly by a 16-year-old boy, he said: “This young man who did this act almost two weeks ago, I say to you, my dear, you are my son. I will always pray for you. I’ll always wish you nothing but the best. And for whoever was in this act, in the name of my Jesus, I forgive you. I love you. And I will always pray for you.”

The Guardian indicated the sight in his right eye has been impaired, writing: “In his Arabic sermon, Emmanuel spoke of how he viewed his eye injury – sustained in the attack – as a sacrifice, and said it should be taken as a gesture of love to Muslims.”

The Bishop went on to speak about the importance of free speech. “Every human being has the right to their freedom of speech and freedom of religion. For us to say that free speech is dangerous, that free speech cannot be possible in a democratic country, I’m yet to fathom this.”

He had previously called for video of the attack to remain online despite the government ordering its removal from social media and the tech giants ignoring the order. 

“As civilized human beings, as intellectuals, we should be able to criticize, to speak, and maybe, at some certain times, we may sound, or we may come across as offensive to some degree, but we should be able to say: I should not worry for my life to be exposed to threat or to be taken away. A non-Christian can criticise my faith, can attack my faith. I will say one thing: May God forgive you, and may God bless you,” he stated.

Bishop Emmanuel appeared to wipe away tears away as he thanked those who had supported him with gifts and best wishes during his recovery. “I am indebted to them for the rest of my life, forever,” he said.

Church priest Father Isaac Royel who was also injured during the attack joined the congregation for the Palm Sunday morning service. Secretary to the Bishop Daniel Kochou observed to the Daily Telegraph: “People are a little shaken, but the other thing is most of our people are Iraqi or Syrian-born so they’re used to conflict. Their faith is strong.”

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