An Australian Bishop who was attacked and stabbed during a live-streamed church service returned to the pulpit this past weekend.
Preaching with an eye patch, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel spoke about the event and forgave the assailant.
"In the name of Jesus, I love you. I forgive you and I will always pray for you," said Bishop Emmanuel during the sermon. "My dear, you are my son...and will always be my son."
He went on to say that he wishes nothing but the best for his attacker.
"I pray that my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, will enlighten your heart and enlighten your soul to realize that there is only one God who art in heaven."
The stabbing was captured during a live stream of the church service on Monday, April 15 at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Sydney. The attacker, a teenage boy, was seen lunging at Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel before others jumped in to help him.
The boy was held inside the church for hours before being taken to hospital to be treated for injuries to his hand.
A second person, one of the parish priests, Father Issac Royel, was also injured and targeted.
Police in Australia are labelling the attack as an act of terrorism.