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Father Fadi Shalufa was knifed as he tried to stop a group of men abusing Christians making a holy visit to the birthplace of Jesus, the Basilica of the Nativity,

Father Shalufa runs the adjacent Catholic Chapel of the Milk Grotto and was hurt after interfering in a commotion on June 1.

In a bid to protect worshippers from a violent crowd, the priest guided the believers to safety in his grotto before closing the gate on the group of men.

One of the men then reached through the metal bars of the gate and struck Father Shalufa with a blunt object, leaving stab wounds.