A Montreal priest who was stabbed as he celebrated morning mass says he hasn’t forgiven his attacker yet.
Father Claude Grou entered St. Joseph’s Oratory to thunderous applause from hundreds of worshippers on Friday, as he returned to the pulpit for morning mass one week after he was attacked.
It was the first day back for the 77-year-old rector who was stabbed by a man in front of dozens of parishioners in an attack captured on video.
Following Friday’s mass, in which he thanked the community for their support, Grou told reporters that he is on the mend.
“My health is good. I’m recovering very well,” he said. “I am well surrounded by people who help me also to feel strong and continue to discover the importance of what we do together.”
The priest suffered minor injuries in the knife attack. He was treated in hospital before being released on the same day of the incident.
A 26-year-old man from Montreal has been charged with attempted murder. The accused has been ordered to undergo an evaluation at a psychiatric hospital.
During the press conference on Friday, Grou said he didn’t know the man who stabbed him.
“I’ve never seen him before. I do not think this person has anything personally against me,” he said.
The priest also said he doesn’t have any resentment towards his attacker.
“On the contrary, I feel the person will need help and I’m sure he will find the help he needs,” Grou said. “I pray the Lord that he will assist him in this process.”
When asked whether there was an opportunity for him to forgive the man, Grou said it was still too soon to say.
“Forgiveness is a long process between two persons. We’re at the beginning of a process. I’m an open person. I feel that these are important values, but I cannot see what form it can take at this moment,” he explained.
Grou also recounted what was going through his mind in the moments leading up to the stabbing.
“When I saw he was entering the sanctuary and especially when he was behind the altar and took out this knife then I had this spontaneous reaction,” he said. “I said ‘I cannot just sit there and wait that he comes to me. I have to come halfway and see how he would react.’ So I just walked down and stood before him and then he started walking towards me and jumped on me. He stabbed me.”
The priest said it took a few moments before he realized he had suffered any wounds in the attack. He said the man stood up immediately after the attack and he followed suit.
“I stood up also and I just stood there,” he recalled.
Grou said he thought, at the time, that it was a bad dream from which he would awake and continue delivering the mass as usual.
As for how he felt returning to the church a week after the attack, Grou said he was urged to return on Thursday and his visit helped to ease some of his concerns.
“When I came in and people applauded, I felt strong enough,” he said. “My main concern was to do the celebration as best as I could.”
The priest also used the opportunity to reassure St. Joseph's Oratory’s visitors that the church remains a welcoming and safe place of worship. He said they have robust security measures including an on-duty security team 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as numerous cameras.
“We want to keep this spirit of openness alive while respecting also the need of having well organized program of security so that people can feel safe in this place,” he said.
Vlad Cristian Eremia, 26, has been charged with the attempted murder of a Catholic priest. He is scheduled to return to court on April 26 following a 30-day stay at a psychiatric hospital.
