An Australian bishop who was stabbed during a live-streamed sermon says that he has forgiven the teen who attacked him.
During the Monday attack, a 16-year-old suspect cut Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in the head and chest, causing an uproar among Assyrian Christian church supporters in western Sydney.
"I am doing fine, recovering very quickly," said the bishop of Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley.
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The region serves as a hub for Sydney's tiny Christian Assyrian population, many of whom have escaped persecution and conflict in Iraq and Syria.
The bishop has over 200,000 followers on social media and has sparked debate regarding COVID-19 vaccines, lockdowns, and Islam.
"There is no need to be worried or concerned," the bishop said in a YouTube video released Thursday, with audio of his voice accompanied by a photo of him in vestments.
"I forgive whoever has done this act and I say to him: You are my son, I love you and I will always pray for you. And whoever sent you to do this, I forgive them as well."