Conservative British Member of the Parliament David Amess was stabbed to death inside a church allegedly due to Islamic extremism.
The Christian Headlines reported that Amess was stabbed on Friday while being inside the Belfairs Methodist Church in Britain's Leigh-on-Sea. The 69-year-old conservative was attending the church's "constituency surgery" that was open to the public when an anonymous man said to be 25-years-old came up to him and stabbed him several times.
Amess, who was renowned for his conservative viewpoints and pro-life stand, eventually died when efforts of the responding paramedics failed to revive him. He is survived by his wife and five children.
The Christian Post explained that constituency surgeries are meetings between the church's constituents and officeholders held in person. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal said police suggest that Islamic extremism was the motive of the suspect for Amess' murder.
Accordingly, a similar incident happened five years ago when Labour Parliamentarian Helen Joanne Cox was murdered on her way to a constituency surgery in June 2016.
News on Amess' sudden death have saddened many government and church leaders such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Johnson revealed in an interview with Reuters that Amess was "one of the kindest, nicest, most gentle people in politics." Johnson cited Amess' passion for country and called it a loss for a "fine public servant."
"David was a man who believed passionately in this country and in its future and we have lost today a fine public servant and a much-loved friend and colleague, and our thoughts are very much today with his wife, his children and his family," Johnson said.
Nichols, on the other hand, was "shocked and saddened" by the incident that he called "an attack on our democratic process and traditions."
"This death throws a sharp light onto the fact that our Members of Parliament are servants of the people, available to people in their need, especially in their constituencies," Nichols told Crux Now.
"His vocation as a Catholic in public life with generosity and integrity (was) respected by all political parties across the House," he added.
Archbishop Justin Welby, similarly expressed in a statement his devastation for the terrible news. Welby seconded Nichols sentiments on the importance of a parliamentarian to the country's democracy.
"The murder of an MP, in the course of caring for their constituents, is a deep blow to this country, its citizens and everyone who desires a peaceful and flourishing democracy," Welby said.
Also through a statement, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell revealed his close relations with Amess who he called his "friend" back to when he was the "Bishop of Chelmsford." Cottrell highlighted how Amess' Christian faith served as guide in how he served his constituents.
"He was the MP for the constituency where I grew up, and not only did he always faithfully serve those people and that place, but had a particular concern for the Christian community born of his own deeply held Christian faith as a member of the Roman Catholic community," Cottrell said.
Amess actually announced his constituency surgery at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Twitter and pinned it in his profile, providing information to book an appointment to be part of it. His last Twitter post was a retweet of an article on him by BBC Essex regarding his campaign for Southend to become a city and a post on meeting the Emir of Doha when he went there last week.
