An evangelical pastor in Brazil readily extended forgiveness to a man who stabbed him in the neck and back during a televised Sunday service at a church in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Pastor Valdemiro Santiago, 53, was performing the ritual laying-on of hands when one of the worshippers approached him and suddenly stabbed him repeatedly, the Daily Mail reported. The worshipper was reportedly upset with Santiago's previous service that he decided to attack the pastor.

"The pastor kindly leaned down to embrace a young man, who took out a knife and stabbed him in the throat," a witness named Bishop Jorge Pinheiro said of the incident. "We are in shock. We could never have imagined that such a thing could happen in a church — to see the pastor holding his neck with blood flowing from it."

Santiago was rushed to hospital where he was given 25 stitches. He was discharged a few hours later.

The attacker was identified as Jonathan Gomes Higino, 20. He used a 35-centimetre knife to stab Santiago. He is now under police custody and faces attempted murder charges.

Higino told the police that Santiago provoked him during a World Cup service last July, where he said, "Let us crucify him."

Santiago released a video message on his wife's Facebook page following the attack. In the video, Santiago's wife Juliana had her arms around him and listened quietly as he spoke. He said, "May God bless and forgive the person who did this."

Santiago is a former member of the highly influential Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (IURD). He parted ways with the church back in 1998 and started his own congregation. It now has a network of around 4,500 churches across Brazil.