Church stabbing Wakeley, Sydney: Bishop prays for attacker after the boy stabbed him during church service

A bishop who was stabbed during a church service in Sydney prayed for his alleged attacker moments after being stabbed, Daily Mail Australia understands.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed at the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley - an incident broadcast on the church's livestream. 

The attacker, a 15-year-old boy, was seen approaching and stabbing the bishop multiple times to the head and upper body at the altar as parishioners screamed and ran to the cleric's aid. 

Police said the attacker was known to police. 

After the attack, a furious mob of around 2000 people swarmed near the church with riots breaking out and police struggling to maintain order. 

Police said the boy had serious hand injuries amid rumours his finger was cut off during the melee. Officers had to barricade themselves inside the church with the boy for several hours as the violence continued outside. 

'Reports are that he has injuries to his hands - I don't know the extent of those injuries at this point,' NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland told media.

He added: 'His injuries are quite severe in his hand, he's fairly upset and fairly distraught.'

He has been taken to an undisclosed location where he remains under police guard.

During the pandemic, Bishop Mar Mari gained notoriety for his criticism of both lockdowns and vaccines and his belief that Covid 'was just another type of flu'. 

His pastoral message on the website reads: 'In our time and age, we believe the most important and fundamental insight is coming into the truth. 

'The world bombards the human race with so much information, quite often we lose our orientation in discerning the lie from the truth.'

This is a breaking story. More to come