A nun has been commended for her bravery after trying to disarm a knifeman shouting “we have to kill Macron” before attacking a priest in a church in Nice, southern France.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on his Twitter feed the priest’s life was not in danger and added that police had arrested the attacker described as “mentally unstable”.

Father Krzysztof Rudzinski, 59, was stabbed 20 times with a 7cm knife before Sister Marie-Claude, 72, was cut in the hand as she reportedly snatched the knife from the attacker.