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A series of violent attacks on priests in Singapore, Spain, and Poland has left Catholic communities in shock. In Singapore, Cardinal William Goh has urged for religious and racial unity following an attack on a priest during Mass. The incident involved Father Christopher Lee of St. Joseph Church in Bukit Timah, who was stabbed by Basnayake Keith Spencer with a foldable knife while distributing Holy Communion. Spencer has been charged with causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon and is currently in custody.
Cardinal Goh emphasized the importance of maintaining harmony and noted that the incident had strengthened the Catholic community's faith and resilience. "Going forward, we must continue to work together to preserve religious and racial harmony," he stated.
In Spain, a tragic attack occurred at the monastery in Gilet, Valencia. Franciscan friar Father Juan Antonio Llorente died from injuries sustained during an assault by a man claiming to be Jesus Christ. Seven other friars were injured in the attack. Brother Ángel Ramón confirmed Father Llorente's death to Alfa y Omega, expressing the deep impact on the local community.
Gilet Mayor Salvador Costa described the event as "a very hard blow" for the town, which shares strong ties with the Franciscan community.
In Poland, Father Lech Lachowicz was attacked with an ax at his parish rectory in Szczytno and later died from brain injuries. A 27-year-old suspect has been detained in connection with this incident.
These attacks coincided with global prayers for persecuted churches over two Sundays in November. The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians reported a significant rise in hate crimes against Christians across Europe last year.
UCA News, Union of Catholic Asian News, and Alfa y Omega contributed to this report.
