Bishop Lucius Hre Kung of Hakha says the faith of Catholics in Chin State, Myanmar, remains resilient after airstrikes by the Burmese army destroyed the Church of Christ the King in Falam earlier this year.
By LiCAS News
“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 Bishop Lucius Hre Kung of Hakha, during a pastoral visit to the ruins of the Church of Christ the King in Falam, Chin State.
In a report by the Vatican’s Fides News Agency, the bishop stressed the centrality of prayer for communities facing war and displacement.
“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,” he said.
The Church of Christ the King was completed and consecrated in November 2023 for about 1,000 Catholics in Falam.
Months later, the town was caught in fighting between the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) and the Burmese army. When CDF forces took control of Falam, government troops launched airstrikes on the area, damaging the new parish church.
“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,” recalled Father Paulinus G.K. Shing, a local priest.
The airstrikes also damaged the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Mindat, which had been designated as the future cathedral of the newly founded Diocese of Mindat, established on January 25, 2025.
According to the Chin Human Rights Organization, at least 107 religious buildings—67 of them churches—have been destroyed in Chin State since 2021.
Meanwhile, in central Myanmar, the faithful face another threat. In Taungngu, authorities plan to demolish the Sacred Heart Cathedral and 19 Buddhist temples to make way for excavation works in the 16th-century city of Toungoo-Ketumati.
Local priests and Catholics expressed fear and urged the Episcopal Conference of Myanmar to intervene and call on the junta to preserve places of worship.
