Wakeley church stabbing: Injured Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel breaks silence urging people not to ‘return to evil’

The bishop brutally stabbed while delivering a sermon at a church in western Sydney has spoken for the first time since the attack, revealing he forgives his alleged attacker.

In a video uploaded to the Christ the Good Shepherd Church’s social media accounts, orthodox Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel reassured people he was recovering from his injuries and urged them not to “return to evil”.

“I’m doing fine, I’m recovering very quickly,” he said from hospital where he is in a stable condition.

“There’s no need to be worried or concerned.”

He went on to say he was praying for the person who had allegedly attacked him.

“I forgive whoever has done this act, and I say to him you’re my son. I love you and I will always pray for you.

“And whoever sent you to do this. I forgive them as well in Jesus’ mighty name. I have nothing in my heart, but love for everyone.”

“Whether that person is a Christian or not, that’s totally beside the point, the Lord Jesus always taught us to love one another love god and love your neighbor like yourself.”

Father Isaac Royel, who was also injured in the attack, was released from hospital on Wednesday and is also recovering well.

Bishop Emmanuel was delivering a sermon that was being live-streamed around the world when a 16-year-old allegedly attacked him and Father Royel with a knife.

The frightening attack just after 7pm on Sunday sparked riots as hundreds of people descended on the Wakely church, with police officers assaulted and vehicles damaged.

Police are treating the stabbing attack as an act of terror.

In the video posted on Thursday, Bishop Emmanuel urged people to be calm.

“I need you to act Christlike, the Lord Jesus never taught us to fight, the Lord Jesus never taught us to retaliate....(he) never said an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth...never return evil with evil, but return evil with good,” Bishop Emmanule said.

“My beloved’s I want you to always be calm, we need to always be law-abiding citizens as well, we need to cooperate with the police directives whether it be at a state level or a federal level.

“We pray for our country, our beloved country Australia and our beautiful city of Sydney and we pray that the lord Jesus always protects this country and the people of this country and we should never forget that were are very blessed to be Aussies.”

Parish priest Daniel Kochou thanked first responders for their actions on the night and said the church did not condone the riot that followed the stabbing.

“There was a large contingent of people who were not members of the church who attended and caused a major disturbance,” he said.

“His Grace Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel preaches love and peace, however, the events that took place were quite the opposite.

“It is his wish that everyone resort to private prayer and to not escalate the matter any further.”

He also said messages circulating on social media promoting a prayer vigil were false.