On the morning of February 14, parishioners found the mutilated body of a Catholic priest, Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win. He was the parish priest of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, where his body was found. The incident happened in Kan Gyi Taw village, Shwe Bo district, Sagaing region, Myanmar.

The circumstances of the murder suggest a planned, targeted attack against Father Donald Martin. The 44-year-old priest was loved by his community and was hailed not only for his work as a pastor of souls but also for his efforts to help the displaced both materially and spiritually. Besides these, he was greatly involved in organizing education for the local youth.

The circumstances and the motives of Father Donald Martin’s death are still unclear, but the militias’ of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), an anti-junta organization that controls the area, arrested ten people in connection to his murder. Currently the suspect has been transported to a court for further investigation.

Meanwhile, despite the dangers, more than 5000 people gathered to say farewell to the murdered priest in his birthplace, Pyin Oo Lwin village. Several priests and faithful participated in the funeral mass, celebrated by the Archbishop of Mandalay, Marco Tin Win, in the Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Archbishop Marco Tin Win spoke against the ongoing violence and asked all the participants in the armed conflict to lay down their weapons and choose the way of peace and reconciliation.

Source: Agenzia Fides