Myanmar cathedral bombed days after its establishment: ‘We will rebuild’

CNA Staff, Feb 11, 2025 / 16:20 pm

A newly-designated Catholic cathedral in Myanmar was bombed by the military regime last week amid an ongoing conflict in the region.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Mindat was severely damaged by airstrikes by the Myanmar military regime in Chin, Myanmar’s only Christian-majority state.

Though the damage took place on Feb. 6, news of the bombing has only recently come to light. The church’s roof and stained-glass windows were destroyed, rendering the church unusable, according to Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies. No injuries were reported and the area had recently been evacuated.

Less than two weeks before the bombing, on Jan. 25, Pope Francis designated the church a cathedral for the newly-formed Diocese of Mindat. In the days leading up to the attack, local Catholics were planning upcoming liturgical celebrations, including the consecration of the newly-appointed bishop, Father Augustine Thang Zawm Hung, Fides reported. 

The newly-formed Diocese of Mindat has a total population of almost 360,000, with more than 14,000 Catholics and 23 parishes, according to the Holy See. 

A local priest, identified as Father Paulinus, told Fides that the faithful are determined to rebuild.

“We are very sad that our church has been hit by the bombs. It is a wound in our heart. But we will not let ourselves be defeated. We will rebuild it,” the local priest said. “We are certain that the Lord will ‘bombard’ us with his grace and blessing: This will bring peace and prosperity to our people.”

Soon after the destruction of the Mindat church, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon urged Catholics to pray for those who were displaced by the violence of the conflict in Myanmar. 

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has for years been wracked by violent conflict following a military coup at the beginning of 2021 in which the military junta overthrew the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who had promised a new democratic era for the nation. The coup triggered widespread resistance, mass protests, and an escalation of armed conflicts across the country, thrusting Myanmar into its current humanitarian and human rights crisis. 

Since 2021, civilian casualties have risen to more than 6,000 according to United Nations estimates, while millions have been displaced. The military junta has killed thousands, detained tens of thousands, and bombed hospitals, schools, and religious buildings. As the local economy has collapsed, the country is on the verge of famine.

The military junta announced an election for 2025 in which only junta-vetted parties may take part.  

Since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948, Myanmar has experienced repeated armed clashes and spent decades under military rule from 1962 to 2011. 

Bo has highlighted religious freedom concerns in recent years. While the predominantly Buddhist country protects religious freedom in its constitution, Bo noted that more than 100 places of worship were bombed or damaged in the Southeast Asian country. In April 2024, a Myanmar priest was fatally shot while celebrating Mass in the state of Kachin. The nation has also experienced ethnic-based conflict, with more than 100 distinct ethnic groups in the country. Pope Francis visited Myanmar in 2017 following stories of horrifying human rights abuses of the Rohingya minority, a predominantly Muslim group denied citizenship in Myanmar.

The Chinland Defence Force and other rebels reportedly control a large amount of Myanmar’s northwestern Chin state, where Mindat is located.

Soon after the bombing, Bo called for prayers for Myanmar during an interfaith event, according to Vatican News.

“Let us envision a Myanmar where the divisions of war give way to the unity of peace,” Bo said.

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