The Cathedral of San Patricio de Banmaw, in Myanmar, was reduced to ashes on Sunday, March 16, eve of the liturgical party of the patron of Ireland, after the military board that governs the country carried out military operations in the area.
“This tragic episode adds to the previous destruction of other ecclesial infrastructure in the Diocese of Banmaw. On February 26, a fire had already razed the house of the priest, the three -storey building where the diocesan offices and the high school,” reports the VATICAN AGENCY FIDES
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The Diocese of Banmaw was created in 2006 and is found in a mountainous region of the border with China. It is directed by Bishop Raymond Sumut. Before the intensification of the war in Burma, the diocese was inhabited by more than 407,000 people, of which 27,000 were baptized Catholics.
This incident adds to one of a similar nature, occurred in February 2025, when the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Mindat was seriously damaged by the air attacks of the Myanmar military regime in Chin, the only state of Christian majority in the country.
What is happening in Myanmar?
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been plunged into a violent conflict After the military coup of early 2021, in which the Military Board overthrown to the elected government of the Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi, which had promised a new democratic era for the nation.
The blow triggered a generalized resistance, mass protests and an escalation of armed conflicts throughout the country, which plunged Myanmar in his current humanitarian and human rights crisis.
According to United Nations estimatessince 2021, civil victims They have promoted More than 6,000, while millions of people have been displaced. The Military Board has killed Miles, arrested tens of thousands and bombarded hospitals, schools and religious buildings. The local economy has collapsed and the country is On the edge of the famine.
The Military Board announced elections for 2025 in which only parties approved by the Board can participate.
Andrés Henríquez
I am a writer for ACI Press and correspondent of EWTN since 2023. Since then, I cover events of the Catholic Church in Venezuela and Latin America. I have more than 5 years of experience in bilingual media. In addition, in Venezuela I have worked with non -governmental organizations for freedom and respect for human rights in the country. I am a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.