Shock: Sydney Catholics mourn horrific knife attack

A sixteen year of boy has been arrested in connection with the stabbing.

We don't know his motives yet.


I'm a bit disgusted that there were riots after the stabbing with police being injured. The police didn't cause the trouble - this kid was responsible.

Michie said:

SYDNEY (OSV News) — The joy of Eastertide has turned to shock and bewilderment across Sydney’s Catholic community in the wake of a deadly knife attack at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping center April 13, in which seven people were killed and a dozen injured, including a nine-month-old baby.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney joined fellow Australians in mourning the victims, in remarks made at Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral on April 14, the day after the attack, which was by coincidence the Day of the Unborn Child, one of Sydney’s biggest pro-life commemorations.

Shock and mourning after knife attack​

“At a time of universal grief and horror at the multiple murders and injuries at Bondi Junction yesterday, including the stabbing of a baby — as well as celebration of the courage of the baby’s mother, the policewoman, and other bystanders — we reflect upon our community’s profound commitment to the value of every human life,” Archbishop Fisher said, as reported by The Catholic Weekly.


“In this Mass we recommit ourselves and our community to that principle, even as we pray for eternal life for yesterday’s victims,” he said.

Continued below.

Shock: Sydney Catholics mourn horrific knife attack

The joy of Eastertide has turned to shock and bewilderment across Sydney's Catholic community in the wake of a deadly knife attack at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping center April 13, in which seven people were killed and a dozen injured, including a nine-month-old baby.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

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Is it just me, or were these acts of violence…knifings, shootings etc. something that started in the United States and have spread to other countries in recent years?

There have been killings right through human history. The USA has an issue with guns in particular, but take a look at the Middle East at almost anytime.

These are most likely two isolated incidents, and it may be some time before we see another.

There is a difference in technology. When the US right to bear arms was formulated, the weapons were single shot muskets.

Now they can be automatic weapons.

The American tendency to draw arms has been around for a long time. I remember talking to a neighbour who fought in the Second World War.

There was often tension in Brisbane between US and Australian servicemen, usually over women. The Americans were better paid and a bit more "romantic".

But he made the comment that US servicemen were "quick to pull out a gun or a knife in a fight" (his exact words) whereas the Australians tended to use their fists.

That was 80 years ago.

FaithT said:

Is it just me, or were these acts of violence…knifings, shootings etc. something that started in the United States and have spread to other countries in recent years?

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On the contrary, knife attacks are quite rare in the US but are common in other countries. For example, the London Bridge knife attack a few years back comes to mind, which was a terrorist attack. Also, the horrific beheading of an innocent passenger on a Greyhound bus in Canada several years back. And in the UK, the ban on carrying handguns was introduced after a horrible shooting in the late 1990s.

Bob Crowley said:

I'm a bit disgusted that there were riots after the stabbing with police being injured. The police didn't cause the trouble - this kid was responsible.

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Yes that is disgusting. Was this the same attack where the controversial schismatic Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Immanuel* was injured, to the extent of losing an eye?

* Mar Mari Immanuel used to be a bishop with the Assyrian Church of the East, but was deposed. He now has his own church and claims to be “Assyrian Orthodox”, which is unfortunately confusing as that is what some Syriac Orthodox churches call themselves, and he wears vestments vaguely similar to those worn by Syriac Orthodox monks and bishops, and also the white version worn by Coptic Orthodox monks while celebrating the Divine Liturgy, but he wears it incorrectly, or at least, in a manner different to how the Copts and canonical Syriac Orthodox wear it. The main problem is that he makes very controversial statements and these then get associated with the Syriac Orthodox Church despite the fact that he has never been a canonical Orthodox bishop, but rather was a bishop in the Church of the East who was deposed. And they are also associated with the Assyrian Church of the East as well, because he calls himself Assyrian Orthodox, despite the fact they deposed him. And some people might think he is Coptic, because he wears headgear normally only used by Coptic Orthodox monks. However, all that being said, he did absolutely nothing to deserve having his eye put out in a brutal knife attack.

The Liturgist said:

Yes that is disgusting. Was this the same attack where the controversial schismatic Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Immanuel* was injured, to the extent of losing an eye?

* Mar Mari Immanuel used to be a bishop with the Assyrian Church of the East, but was deposed. He now has his own church and claims to be “Assyrian Orthodox”, which is unfortunately confusing as that is what some Syriac Orthodox churches call themselves, and he wears vestments vaguely similar to those worn by Syriac Orthodox monks and bishops, and also the white version worn by Coptic Orthodox monks while celebrating the Divine Liturgy, but he wears it incorrectly, or at least, in a manner different to how the Copts and canonical Syriac Orthodox wear it. The main problem is that he makes very controversial statements and these then get associated with the Syriac Orthodox Church despite the fact that he has never been a canonical Orthodox bishop, but rather was a bishop in the Church of the East who was deposed. And they are also associated with the Assyrian Church of the East as well, because he calls himself Assyrian Orthodox, despite the fact they deposed him. And some people might think he is Coptic, because he wears headgear normally only used by Coptic Orthodox monks. However, all that being said, he did absolutely nothing to deserve having his eye put out in a brutal knife attack.

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Interesting. I wonder if his ordination is still considered "canonically valid" by the RCC since the RCC views all ancient apostolic churches as valid. I wonder if he has a Valid Eucharist etc? I assume his denomination he founded is very small in number.

The Assyrian Church of the East is NOT Orthodox.

Interesting, the Chaldean Catholic Church is actually larger in number.

He was a member of the Ancient Church of the East, (not the same as Assyrian Church of the East) and they are incredibly small in number.

Apparently, he's only 14 years older than my oldest brother. I thought he was in his 70s+.

The Liturgist said:

Yes that is disgusting. Was this the same attack where the controversial schismatic Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Immanuel* was injured, to the extent of losing an eye?

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It followed on from that stabbing attack.

An estimated 2,000 people descended on the Wakeley church after the attack on Emmanuel, damaging 94 police vehicles and leaving 26 officers injured, according to police.

New South Wales police said that about 7.20am on Saturday they arrested a man in Horningsea Park in Sydney’s west.

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RileyG said:

He was a member of the Ancient Church of the East, (not the same as Assyrian Church of the East) and they are incredibly small in number.

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They broke away from the Assyrian Church of the East due to the discovery that the hereditary Patriarchate was uncanonical, both according to ancient canons and canons specific to the Church of the East; the exact trigger for the separation was when the last hereditary Catholicos-Patriarch, Mar Shimun XXIII, changed the calendar. They are in the process of reuniting with the Assyrian Church of the East since the hereditary system ended with the election of Mar Dinkha IV, memory eternal.

RileyG said:

The Assyrian Church of the East is NOT Orthodox.

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If by not Orthodox you mean not Eastern or Oriental Orthodox, sure.

RileyG said:

Interesting, the Chaldean Catholic Church is actually larger in number.

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Maybe, I haven’t looked, but the Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the East have between them the largest vernacular Aramaic speaking population, with 700,000 members, whereas the Chaldeans are a different tribe located mainly in Baghdad rather than the Nineveh Plains, which mainly speaks Arabic.

Dan David on YouTube with his friend Peter Panda did a humorous guide to the different Assyrian tribes. I would link to it but its a bit PG-13

The Liturgist said:

They broke away from the Assyrian Church of the East due to the discovery that the hereditary Patriarchate was uncanonical, both according to ancient canons and canons specific to the Church of the East; the exact trigger for the separation was when the last hereditary Catholicos-Patriarch, Mar Shimun XXIII, changed the calendar. They are in the process of reuniting with the Assyrian Church of the East since the hereditary system ended with the election of Mar Dinkha IV, memory eternal.



If by not Orthodox you mean not Eastern or Oriental Orthodox, sure.



Maybe, I haven’t looked, but the Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the East have between them the largest vernacular Aramaic speaking population, with 700,000 members, whereas the Chaldeans are a different tribe located mainly in Baghdad rather than the Nineveh Plains, which mainly speaks Arabic.

Dan David on YouTube with his friend Peter Panda did a humorous guide to the different Assyrian tribes. I would link to it but its a bit PG-13

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Thanks for your input!