Wakeley church stabbing: Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel makes emotional return to ... trends now
An Assyrian Christian Bishop who was allegedly stabbed has made an emotional return to his pulpit to deliver a fiery sermon defending free speech while slamming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly attacked by a 16-year-old boy during a livestream of his sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Sydney's south-west on April 15 in horrifying scenes that shocked Australia and the world.
Less than a fortnight later, he received a standing ovation from parishioners as he returned to the altar on Sunday night to deliver a sermon for Palm Sunday, which is part of Orthodox Easter.
Sporting a white eyepatch over his right eye and carrying a gold cross, Bishop Emmanuel stood in the same place he was allegedly stabbed and began his service in Arabic.
Several days after he expressed his wishes for the footage of his alleged attack to remain online, the bishop called out Mr Albanese in an impassioned defence of freedom of speech and religion.
Bishop Emmanuel said that he cannot 'fathom' how freedom of speech could not be possible in a democratic country like Australia.
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel (pictured on Sunday night) has made an emotional return to Christ The Good Shepherd Church, less than a fortnight after he was rushed to hospital
On April 15, Bishop Emmanuel was allegedly stabbed by a 16-year-old. The attack triggered riots in the streets surrounding the church
'I say to our beloved, the Australian government, and our beloved Prime Minister, the honourable Mr Albanese, I believe in one thing and that is the integrity and the identity of the human being,' he said.
'This human identity, this human integrity, is a God-given gift, no one else.
'Every human being has the right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion... I should not worry for my life to be exposed to threat or to be taken away.'
He pointed out that Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Atheists had the right to express their beliefs.
'Also the Christians have the right to express their beliefs, and for us to say, that free speech is dangerous, that free speech cannot be
