Orthodox priest shot at his church with sawn-off shotgun in France

An Orthodox priest has been wounded in a shooting in the French city of Lyon.

The Telegraph reports that the priest was critically injured in the attack, which occurred as he was closing his church. 

A police source told AFP news agency that the gunman used a sawn-off shotgun and had fled the scene. 

Another police official told Reuters news agency that the priest had received treatment at the scene for "life-threatening injuries". 

Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, said the attack was "sad and concerning". 

"Our condolences and prayers are with our sisters and brothers in the Greek Orthodox community in Britain and France," he said. 

It comes just days after a terror attack on a church in the southern French city of Nice in which three people were killed, including a 60-year-old woman who was beheaded as she prayed. 

Eyewitnesses said the suspect in the Nice attack, Brahim Aoussaoui, 21, had arrived in France from Tunisia just last month. 

Responding to the Nice attack, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to escalate security at churches.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, said he was "horrified" by the attack, especially as it had taken place in a place of worship.

"People have been killed in a sacred place, which they had entered in order to pray. I know the Basilica well. It is much loved by the people of Nice and by so many visitors," he said.

"Its violation deepens the horror of three brutal killings. May these three innocent people rest in peace. May all people reject utterly the pathway of senseless violence. May God bless Nice."

News
Traitors’ winner Harry Clark heads to Rome in new BBC documentary exploring faith in modern Britain
Traitors’ winner Harry Clark heads to Rome in new BBC documentary exploring faith in modern Britain

BBC Two and iPlayer are set to air a new one-hour documentary this Easter charting The Traitors’ winner Harry Clark’s personal pilgrimage from Slough to the Vatican

Christians welcome NI decision to pull out of puberty blocker trial
Christians welcome NI decision to pull out of puberty blocker trial

Nesbitt initially indicated that the province would join the trial.

EU Parliament condemns expulsion of foreign Christians in Turkey
EU Parliament condemns expulsion of foreign Christians in Turkey

Turkey has said the EU is interfering in its internal affairs.

Fewer Britons giving something up for Lent as cathedrals invite deeper reflection
Fewer Britons giving something up for Lent as cathedrals invite deeper reflection

The number of Britons giving something up for Lent has fallen sharply over the past decade, according to new research highlighting a significant shift in how the season is observed.