A well-known bishop was stabbed, and multiple other people were attacked during a stabbing rampage that was caught on the church's livestream in Sydney, Australia.

Warning for graphic content: 

Shocking stabbing attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel of the Assyrian Aramaic Church in Western Sydney. Sky News is reporting that four people have been stabbed. Suspect is in custody and the bishop is in a stable condition at Liverpool Hospital pic.twitter.com/ezwmmGrg8u

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) April 15, 2024

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Sydney's west on Monday just after 7pm when a man dressed in a dark hoodie walked up to the altar and allegedly stabbed him multiple times.

Horrifying footage of the incident, which was being broadcast live on the church's YouTube page, shows Bishop Emmanuel look up in astonishment as the attacker suddenly rains down blows on his face and head. 

You can hear the screams and see people immediately rushing up to help the bishop deal with the attacker. They reportedly piled on top of the attacker and held him down until the police came. 

There were conflicting reports about the number of people injured. NSW Ambulance said four people were injured in the incident, and fortunately, the initial reports indicate that no one has life-threatening injuries. Australia's 9 News said four additional people were also injured in the attack. The ages of the injured ran the gamut, believed to be in their 60s, 50s, 30s, and 20s.

But then, in the wake of the stabbing, there was a riot outside the church, as people apparently wanted to get at the attacker. They hurled bottles and bricks, and the police had to hold them off, even reportedly deploying tear gas. 

You can see further videos here and here, including of people chanting, "Bring him out."  

Police commented on the suspect, saying he had been taken into custody. 

“Officers arrested a male and he is assisting police with inquiries. The injured people suffered non-life threatening injuries and are being treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics,” the report quoted the police as saying.

The bishop was well-known for standing up to COVID lockdowns, which he termed "mass slavery."

“Are we humans? Because we are being treated like animals,” the bishop said in one 2021 sermon, according to News.com.au.

“They are encouraging people to go and take a vaccine and stay at home. They have had enough.”

He has a big online following. 

There's no official word yet on any motivations or reasons behind the attack from the police. 

This followed within 48 hours after a stabbing in which six people were killed and several more injured in Sydney before the attacker was killed by a female policewoman. That man was known to the police. His family has said Joel Cauchi had severe mental health issues, and the police are not treating the attack as terrorism-related. It appeared he primarily attacked women. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it a “horrific act of violence” and said the gender breakdown of the victims was “concerning.”