Sydney: Who is the priest who was stabbed - Anti-vaccinationist, what he said about same-sex marriage in Greece

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed along with several worshipers in the middle of a Mass in Wakeley on Monday night.

The attack took place at Christ The Good Shepherd Church. The shocking attack was captured on a live broadcast of the Liturgy.

 Footage then emerged of the alleged attacker being arrested, while an angry crowd began to gather outside and police arrived.

Who is Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was attacked in Sydney

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel is the leader of an ultra-conservative branch of the Assyrian Orthodox faith, which has a large presence on social media

The Christian Orthodox bishop who was stabbed in Sydney's second knife attack in three days is known for his anti-LGBTQ and anti-Covid vaccine views.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel leads the Church of Christ the Good Shepherd in Wakeley, in Sydney's western suburbs.

He has a large presence on social media, with 17,000 Facebook followers and 200,000 YouTube subscribers. The videos he has posted on TikTok have been viewed millions of times.

What he said about same-sex marriage in Greece?

In fact, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel has also uploaded a video about same-sex marriage in Greece, in which he says that "a Christian country, with a rich Christian history for centuries", succumbed to pressure from "external forces" and that most governments consist of from leftists and atheists who do not want to hear the name of Christ, because they have satan in them.

The bishop gained notoriety during Australia's Covid lockdown for his views on vaccines.

In July 2021, at the height of the pandemic, he described the lockdown restrictions as "mass slavery".

He argued that the dangers posed by Covid-19 were exaggerated and that vaccines were unnecessary because people's natural immune systems would fight the virus.

He said the stress caused by lockdowns and the spread of vaccines was doing more damage than the virus itself, rejecting advice issued by the government, scientists and medical professionals.

"I believe, although I'm not in the medical field and I'm not an expert, that stress is the number one killer of the immune system," he said during a sermon.

“The vaccine is supposed to work to boost the immune system, but on the other hand we have put people through so much stress and anxiety that it has destroyed it. Then what is the use of this vaccine?' he wondered.

The motive for the knife attack is unknown and there is no indication at this time that it was linked to the bishop's views on the coronavirus, nor is it suspected to be linked to the 40-year-old's terrifying knife attack at the Westfield shopping center in Sydney's Bondi Junction on Saturday.

Other viral livestreams feature his harsh views on American and Russian politics, as well as the claim that Satan founded the United Nations.

Emmanuel was ordained a priest in 2009 and a bishop in 2011.

According to the website of Christ The Good Shepherd Church, the bishop traveled internationally for his teachings.