Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel of the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Australia returned to the pulpit two weeks after a knife attack during a live stream. Sporting a white eye patch, the bishop delivered a passionate sermon in support of freedom of speech and religion.
In a video posted on social media, Bishop Emmanuel stated, “I’m proud to be an Australian. This is home.” He praised those who have fought for human rights and emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and religion for all.
“Every human has a right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion, no matter who that is,” he declared.
Addressing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Bishop Emmanuel expressed his belief in the integrity and identity of the human being as a God-given gift. He asserted that “every human being has the right to their freedom of speech and freedom of religion.”
The bishop extended his support to all religions, including Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Atheists, emphasizing their right to express their beliefs. He questioned how freedom of speech could be restricted in a democratic country.
“We should be able as civilized human beings, as intellectuals, to criticize, to speak,” he said. “We should not worry for our life to be exposed to threat or to be taken away.”
Bishop Emmanuel’s sermon comes amidst a debate in Australia about the limits of free expression following the alleged Wakeley terror attack, in which a 16-year-old boy stabbed him during a live-streamed sermon.
Social media platform X has been ordered to remove certain posts commenting on the attack, but its Global Governance Affairs division has stated it will challenge the take-down order. X has clarified that it does not allow people to praise or incite violence related to the incident. CONTINUE READING
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