ASIA/MYANMAR - Bishop of Hakha: In Chin State, a church has been destroyed, “but the faith remains strong”

Hakha (Agenzia Fides) - "They destroyed the walls of the church, but not the faith. Our faith remains strong, the people of God in Falam continue to believe and hope. The faithful will rebuild the Church of Christ the King, everyone will do their part," said Msgr. Lucius Hre Kung, Bishop of Hakha, in the Burmese state of Chin, in northwestern Myanmar, during a visit to the ruins of the Church of Christ the King, which was destroyed by airstrikes by the Burmese army in April of this year (see Fides, 11/4/2025). "In this moment of suffering and trial, we remain firmly anchored in prayer and united with the Heart of Christ and the Heart of Mary, who take upon themselves all the sufferings of humanity. Jesus and Mary give us the strength and hope to continue and hope for a future of peace," said the bishop, who regularly visits the families of the displaced and the faithful in need, bringing them, as he says, "the consolation of the Lord."
The church was completed and consecrated in November 2023 by the Catholic community of the town of Falam, about 1,000 faithful, and then found itself in the crosshairs of the fighting between the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) militias, which had emerged in Chin State, and the Burmese army. The CDF—part of the People's Defense Forces, which opposes the military junta—took control of Falam, whereupon the army began bombing the area, which also affected the church. Only now, months later, was the bishop able to visit the site, assess the damage, and comfort the local population. "It was a very beautiful church, and the parish was happy to take care of it. I hope it can be rebuilt soon. I look with sadness at pictures of priests of the diocese being ordained there," recalls Father Paulinus G.K. Shing, a local priest.
The Myanmar army also damaged the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Mindat, another town in Chin State, with airstrikes (see Fides, 10/2/2025). The church was to become the cathedral of the newly founded Diocese of Mindat, which was established on January 25 of this year. According to the Chin Human Rights Organization, at least 107 religious buildings, including 67 churches, have been destroyed by army bombing in Chin State since 2021 during the civil war.
In central Myanmar, however, in the diocese of Taungngu, an area controlled by the military junta where there is no fighting, the government intends to demolish the Sacred Heart Cathedral and 19 Buddhist temples as part of the excavation work on the ancient 16th-century city of Toungoo-Ketumati. This is stated in a document sent to local religious leaders. Local priests and faithful have expressed their fear that their cathedral will be demolished and, as they told Fides, hope that the Episcopal Conference of Myanmar will take a stand on the matter and urge the junta to preserve the place of worship. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 26/8/2025)

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