Sydney police arrest man who stabbed bishop in church, injured several people

Social media footage show the man approaching a cleric at the altar identified as the bishop and appearing to stab him repeatedly in the head and upper body

Australians are still in shock after a lone assailant stabbed six people to death in a busy Sydney shopping mall on Saturday and injured more than a dozen others

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New South Wales police guard the perimeter of the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s western suburb of Wakeley, after several people were stabbed in the church premises. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:40pm, 15 Apr 2024Updated: 9:03pm, 15 Apr 2024

Police in Australia say a man has been arrested after a bishop and three churchgoers were stabbed in Sydney. There are no life-threatening injuries.

It occurred during a televised service at the church on Monday evening, police said. The Orthodox Assyrian church streams services online.

A video on social media shows a man dressed in black approaching a cleric at the altar identified as the bishop at Christ the Good Shepherd in suburban Wakely and appearing to stab him repeatedly in the head and upper body.

An attacker approaches Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a church service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley. Photo: Reuters

Members of the congregation are seen screaming and rushing to the bishop’s aid. The church website identified the bishop as Mar Mari Emmanuel.

NSW Ambulance service said it had treated a man in his 50s for multiple cuts and taken him to a hospital, and three others were treated for one or more cuts at the scene.

“A large police response is underway and the public is urged to avoid the area,” police said.

The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, described the scenes as “disturbing” on social media and urged the community to remain calm and “stick together”. Religious leaders expressed shock and condolences.