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Witnesses said the church was Greek Orthodox. Another police source said the priest was a Greek national and had been able to inform emergency services when they arrived that he had not recognized his attacker.
The incident occurred two days after a man shouted “Allahu Akbar!” (God is the greatest) beheaded a woman and killed two other people in a church in Nice. Two weeks ago, a school teacher in a Paris suburb was beheaded by an 18-year-old attacker who was apparently outraged by the teacher showing a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad during a class.
While the motive for Saturday’s attack is unknown, government ministers warned that there could be other attacks by Islamist militants. President Emmanuel Macron has deployed thousands of soldiers to protect sites such as places of worship and schools.
Prime Minister Jean Castex, who was visiting Rouen, said he was returning to Paris to assess the situation.
The Nice attack took place on the day that Muslims celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Many Muslims around the world have been angered by France’s defense of the right to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet.
A third person has been detained by police in connection with that attack, a police source said on Saturday. The alleged assailant was shot by the police and remained in critical condition at the hospital.
