After a violent attack inside a Polish monastery, a Sunday service carried an unexpected message that challenged the impulse to blame an entire community.
Father Adrian Mantykiewicz, who was injured in a knife attack at a Benedictine convent in Jarosław, Poland, urged people not to blame the entire Ukrainian community for the attacker’s actions. During Sunday Mass, he said the victims forgive the man and called on people to pray for everyone affected by the attack, including the attacker.
This is reported by the media outlet Dziennik Zachodni.
I want to say this very clearly: we forgive.
– Adrian Mantykiewicz
What we know about the attack in Jarosław
The Przemyśl prosecutor’s office charged 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen Ihor M. According to investigators, he attacked people with a knife on the grounds of the convent on September 24.
His health prevented him from taking part in legal proceedings. Psychiatrists found that he had symptoms of acute polymorphic psychotic disorder. A separate psychiatric evaluation will determine whether he was criminally responsible at the time of the attack.
A priest injured in Jarosław urged people not to blame Ukrainians for the attacker’s actions