Italy: Man of ‘North African origin’ stabs priest in the neck as he walked through Modena’s city center

45-year-old priest Rodrigo Grajales Gaviria

Jihad Watch : “When you meet the unbelievers, strike the necks…”  “Modena, priest stabbed in the throat in the historic city center: ‘The attacker fled, attempted murder,'” translated from “Modena, prete accoltellato alla gola in centro storico: «L’aggressore è fuggito, un tentato omicidio»,” by Adriano Arati, Corriere di Bologna, December 30, 2025:

The 45-year-old priest Rodrigo Grajales Gaviria was stabbed in the throat while walking in the heart of Modena. The priest is of Colombian origin, has worked as a missionary and is currently the vice-parish priest of the San Giovanni Evangelista parish in Via Diena, in the Crocetta district of Modena, as well as chaplain of the Latin American community of the diocese of Modena and Nonantola. 

Around 10:30 AM, Father Rodrigo was walking in Via Castelmaraldo, in the city’s historic center, running some errands before leaving for abroad. According to some passers-by, he was approached from behind by a man, probably young and, according to rumors, of North African origin, who struck him several times with a knife before fleeing. The priest fell to the ground, losing a lot of blood.

He suffered two wounds, the first to the back and the second, more serious, to the neck. The injury to the neck area could have been fatal; the cut caused significant bleeding but did not damage major blood vessels, and did not lead to rapid exsanguination. People present in Via Castelmaraldo called 118 and approached to see how the priest was doing, waiting for the rescuers who treated him before moving him from the pavement and taking him to the emergency room of the Baggiovara hospital.

Don Rodrigo underwent emergency surgery to prevent further blood loss. The operation was successful, and his clinical condition, although still serious, has improved. The 45-year-old is no longer in danger of death.

The Carabinieri of the Modena command, who intervened in Via Castelmaraldo, have launched an investigation into attempted murder, starting from the accounts of people who were in that area of ​​the historic center and from the footage of the surveillance cameras. It is not yet clear whether there was an argument or whether there were any pre-existing motives.

The attack, on a busy street in the city center on a day at the end of the year, has caused astonishment. The first to intervene and demand clarity is the mayor of Modena, Massimo Mezzetti: “I express my utmost solidarity with Don Rodrigo and I hope he recovers soon. It is a relief to know that he is no longer in danger of death.

I hope that full light will be shed on this very serious incident, which occurred in broad daylight in an area that is certainly not isolated,” he comments….