The Archbishop of Kuching in Singapore reminded the faithful to continue making churches open and “where everyone is welcomed” following a commotion during Mass at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral.
In a statement, Archbishop Simon Poh said that a man threw down and broke a bottle in front of the altar during the sunset Mass on March 8.
He revealed that the man was mentally disturbed after his mother’s death, as per information from various social media posts.
“As your shepherd and spiritual leader, I appeal to everyone to be kind [to] this person. As Catholics, Christians, and people of goodwill, this event is an invitation to show mercy, kindness, and support for those who are struggling in life, especially with mental difficulties,” said Archbishop Poh.
“May everyone who enters our churches experience God’s love and mercy and depart with hope and peace to make society and the world a better place,” he said.
Despite causing panic among the congregation present at the cathedral at the time of the incident, Archbishop Poh said that no physical violence occurred, and the man was gently ushered outside the church.
“We thank the police for the rapid response to come to the cathedral to escort the man and send him for medical treatment,” wrote the prelate.
Archbishop Poh stated that they viewed the incident as a "medical situation" and did not file a police report.
The man is now receiving medical attention and treatment.
The archbishop reminded the faithful to never condemn people struggling with mental or emotional challenges.
“When someone has diabetes, we consider the condition an illness in the body and treat it with medication. Likewise, when a person has an illness in his mind, we treat it with medication… Let us understand mental disorder as an illness and extend support and medical intervention to help the person,” he said.
Moreover, Archbishop Poh appealed to the public to avoid sharing or posting comments on the video of the incident, which was widely circulated on various social media platforms, to avoid adding “further pain and stigma to him and his family members.”
“Instead, offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God that everyone is safe; pray for our brother, who is now receiving medical attention; and continue to give emotional support to his immediate family,” he said.
Over the past few months, various incidents occurred in the middle of Holy Masses in Singapore, causing the Catholic Church to heighten church security.
In November, Singaporean priest Father Christopher Lee was stabbed at the Saint Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah. The attack left him with lacerations in the tongue and upper lip.
His attacker, 37-year-old Basnayake Keith Spencer, was charged during a December 2024 trial.
In February, another Singaporean priest was punched in the face after celebrating a Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Spirit at Upper Thomson Road.
Despite experiencing "some slight swelling on his face," the assault left him "safe and well."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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