Backpack hero: "I let myself be guided by Providence and the Virgin Mary"

On June 8, 2023, a Syrian migrant attacked and stabbed several babies and toddlers on the shores of Lake Annecy (France). A young French man named Henri, who was nearby at the time of the attack, chased the attacker and stepped in between him and other potential victims, using his backpack to protect himself from knife wounds.

The young man says his faith gave him the strength to fight the knife-wielding attacker: a modern-day pilgrim on a tour of French cathedrals, Henri told journalists on Friday, June 9, that his Catholic faith gave him the strength to fight the attacker.

Dubbed "the backpack hero" by the media, the 24-year-old man, who introduced himself as Henri, said he was near a playground when he saw the man attack children in a stroller, while their mother tried to protect them.

"All I know is that I wasn't there by chance. On my way to the cathedrals, I came across this man and acted instinctively. It was unthinkable to do nothing," the philosophy and business management student told TV channel Cnews.

Video footage shows him trying to block the attacker with one of his two backpacks, chasing the man into the playground and throwing one of his bags at the assailant.

He declared that he felt a powerful force urging him to act: "I let myself be guided by providence and the Virgin Mary. I said my goodbyes. They would decide on the outcome."

Henri's walking tour of cathedrals will continue for several more months. He hopes to show his followers on social networks "how the beauty of cathedrals can nourish us and help us do what's right".

Adapted and translated from https://tribunechretienne.com/henri-le-courage-et-la-foi/