Belgian Priest attacked by man claiming to be asylum seeker

Father Vanderlee is expected to make full recovery.

The sixty-five-year-old Belgian priest, Father Jos Vanderlee, was reportedly stabbed in his home by a man claiming to be an asylum seeker.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to the Belgian newspaper, Het Nieuwsblad, the attacker stated he was an asylum seeker and asked to use the priest's shower.

Father Vanderlee allowed the man to shower in his home, but after the shower, it is said the attacker demanded the priest give him money. When Father Vanderlee refused, the man stabbed him.

The priest was rushed to the hospital with hand and tendon injuries but is expected to recover fully, according to The Telegraph.

"Despite the fact that we are shocked, we must stress that this incident can not be linked to terrorist acts at this stage of the investigation," said Marino Keulen, the mayor of Lanaken, where the attack took place.

Some reports express the man was only claiming to be an asylum seeker to gain access to the priest's home.

Following the brutal murder of Father Jacques Hamel by ISIS terrorists during Mass in France's St. Etienne du Rouvray, many Catholics around the world remain on edge fearing more attacks on our religion.

Belgian authorities are currently investigating Father Vanderlee's attack, but deny links to terrorism.