Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel’s freedom of speech swipe at Albo upon return to work after south western Sydney church stabbing

An Assyrian Christian bishop made stern comments towards Anthony Albanese as he returned to his western Sydney church after he was stabbed by an alleged teen terrorist almost two weeks ago.

Sunday Morning Mass at The Good Shepherd Church, Wakeley. Father Rotel is second from the right. Picture: Monique Harmer

An Assyrian Christian bishop has returned to his western Sydney church after he was stabbed by an alleged teen terrorist almost two weeks ago.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was met by a standing ovation at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church on Sunday evening as he arrived to deliver a sermon for Palm Sunday.

Standing at the same pulpit where he was stabbed, and wearing an eyepatch, the bishop began the service in Arabic before declaring that: “In Christ we are one, in Christ we are always united regardless of what our differences are, as theological, dogmatic or kinetical differences, but in Christ we are always united.”

The bishop addressed his alleged attacker, telling him “I love you and I will always pray for you” before addressing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian government as he launched into a rant on free speech and censorship.

“To our beloved Australian government... I believe in one thing and that is the integrity and the identity of the human being,” he said.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel returns to the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley. Picture: Supplied

“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.”

“For us to say because of this freedom of speech, it is causing dramas and dilemmas therefore everything should be censored, where is democracy, where is humanity, where is integrity.”

The bishop also thanked a long list of people who had sent letters or flowers following the incident, including multi faith church leaders from around Sydney and overseas, local council members, local community organisations and the Abdallah family.

The bishop spoke about freedom of speech, censorship and his alleged attacker in his first service since the April 15 incident. Picture: Supplied

“I am indebted to them for the rest of my life, forever,” the bishop said of his wellwishers, appearing to wipe away tears as he proceeded through the list.

It comes after a priest Father Isaac Royal was back in the congregation to commemorate Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of lent before the Orthodox Easter.

Father Royel at the Sunday Morning Mass at The Good Shepherd Church, Wakeley. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Monique Harmer

Two members of the church community console each other at the Sunday Morning Mass at The Good Shepherd Church, Wakeley. Picture: Monique Harmer

The incident was live streamed, with Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel stabbed multiple times

“Father Royel is back today, but I don’t know if he’ll be back full time,” Secretary to the Bishop Daniel Kochou said.

“People are a little shaken but the other thing is most of our people are Iraqi or Syrian born so they’re used to conflict,” he said.

“Their faith is strong.”

Sunday Morning Mass at The Good Shepherd Church, Wakeley. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Monique Harmer

On Thursday, the Christ the Good Shepherd Church released an 11-minute video of Bishop Emmanuel expressing his wish for footage of the attack to remain online after Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant ordered X and Meta to remove the footage.

Daniel Kochou Secretary to the bishop priest poses for a photo before Sunday Morning Mass at The Good Shepherd Church, Wakeley. Picture: Monique Harmer

“I do acknowledge the Australian government’s desire to have the videos removed because of their graphic nature,” Bishop Emmanuel said in the video.

“It would be of great concern if people used the attack on me to serve their own political interest to control free speech.”

Following the Bishop’s stabbing, large crowds massed outside the church, with multiple police officers injured in the riots.

On Wednesday, more than 400 officers were involved in sweeping searches across Sydney as part of a counter terrorism investigation linked to the stabbing. Five teenagers aged between 14 and 17 were charged with terrorism offences.

The 16-year-old boy who allegedly attacked the bishop is still before the courts and has not entered a plea.

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