Pastoral center in northern Myanmar among latest Catholic sites bombed by governing military junta

(OSV News) -- A Catholic pastoral center in northern Myanmar is among the latest Christian sites bombed by the country's governing military junta.

According to a March 5 report by Fides, the news agency of the Dicastery for Evangelization, the pastoral center, which was on the grounds of St. Michael's Catholic Church in Nan Hlaing, located in the northern Diocese of Banmaw, was targeted and destroyed by two aerial bombs.

Jesuit Father Wilbert Mireh, the parish priest, told Fides that he was forced to travel to another city near the border with China to find a place with electricity and internet access in order to communicate what had happened.

"Electricity, telephone and other services have been absent in our area since July 2024," he explained. "The bombing caused damage to the building, but no injuries. We thank God that we are safe, although people here are fighting for survival. There are no schools, clinics or shops."

Myanmar has been in the throes of a civil war since 2021 when a military coup dashed democratic aspirations. Since then, the government's military has been accused of violence against civilians opposed to its rule and has been engaged in multiple conflicts with armed groups in the country.

The military junta was responsible for carrying out airstrikes that destroyed Sacred Heart Church, located in Chin state in western Myanmar Feb. 6. The church was supposed to serve as the cathedral of the new Diocese of Mindat, which was erected by Pope Francis at the end of January.

In mid-February, Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win, a parish priest, was stabbed to death and mutilated in a targeted attack on the grounds of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Kan Gyi Taw, a small village in central Myanmar's Shwe Bo district.

Father Mireh told Fides that Masses were already being celebrated outside because "it is too dangerous to be in the church, and the building has already been hit and damaged."

Nevertheless, he added, the faithful have not lost hope.

"I must say that despite the suffering and the precarious conditions, the faith and spirit are strong. The faithful pray every day that the Lord, through the Archangel Michael, continues to grant his protection and watch over us," he said.

Kachin state in northern Myanmar, where the parish is located, has been at war with the governing military junta for independence. As the Kachin Independence Army gained ground, the military junta resorted to bombing the region.

"Despite the fear and unease," Father Mireh said, "we will continue to live for good, truth and justice, firm in our faith."