Stabbed archbishop Mar Mari Emmanuel forgives his attacker

SYDNEY —  In his first public comments after the stabbing incident, Mar Mari Emmanuel has forgiven his attacker.

The 53-year-old bishop has been in hospital since he was stabbed by a 16-year-old boy during a livestreamed service at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church in Sydney.

Sources reported that a 39-year-old priest was also stabbed after trying to intervene. They were both expected to recover after undergoing surgery.

Mar Mari Emmanuel called for his supporters not to retaliate over the attack but to behave “Christlike”.

“I forgive whoever has done this act,” he said. “And whoever sent you to do this, I forgive them as well in Jesus’s mighty name.”

“I have nothing in my heart but love for everyone. Whether that person is a Christian or not, it’s totally beside the point.”