St Joseph's Church stabbing: S'pore religious leaders express support & pray for injured Catholic priest whose surgery went well

Various religious leaders in Singapore have condemned the stabbing of a priest, Father Christopher Lee, at St Joseph's Church in Bukit Timah.

They also came together to express support and pray for Lee who is resting and recovering well in the hospital after a surgery.

Injured Catholic priest in "good spirits" after surgery

In the latest updates by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong and Cardinal William Goh, Lee was described to be recovering well and in good spirits when Goh visited him on Nov. 10.

In a video shared by Goh, the priest was seen giving a thumbs up and waving at the camera.

Tong shared that Lee's surgery went well and is now resting in the hospital.

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A post shared by Edwin Tong 唐振辉 (@edwintong)

Support from various religious groups

Earlier in the morning, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan posted public letters from various religious leaders on his Facebook.

These religious leaders stand in solidarity with the Catholic community, saying that there can be no place for any form of violence, especially not in the name of religion and in religious places.

Muslim community

Mufti of Singapore Nazirudin Mohd Nasir said the Muslims "stand together with Catholics and all faith communities in Singapore in protecting the safety and sanctity of all places of worship, and in reinforcing the peaceful nature of our respective teachings.”

"There can be no places for any form of violence, especially not in the name of any religion and in religious spaces," he added, saying that he read about the incident with sadness and concern.

The Muslim community prays for Lee's speedy recovery, and prays for the Catholic community to be resilient and steadfast.

“We hope this incident will not be used to sow any discord and division in our society but will only strengthen our collective resolve to preserve the peace and harmony in Singapore,” he added.

Hindu community

The Hindu Endowments Board and Hindu Advisory Board issued a joint statement following the attack, expressing their sadness at the incident.

"Acts of violence have no place in our society, especially in sacred spaces meant for peace and reflection," they reiterated.

Standing in solidarity with the Catholic community, the Hindu community extended their "heartfelt sympathies" to Lee and his loved ones and prayed for his recovery.

Jewish community

Rabbi Mordechai Abergel, the chief Rabbi of the Jewish Welfare Board called the incident a "distressing event", saying that the Jewsih community were "shocked and saddened" to learn of the event.

“As a community that honours all places of worship, we stand in solidarity with our Catholic friends, praying for peace, healing, and strength across all faiths,” he said.

"In difficult times like these, the strength of Singapore lies in the unity we share," he added.

Buddhist community

The Singapore Buddhist Federation called the attack "senseless" and "appallingly heinous" for taking place during a sacred religious event.

"The Buddhist community would like to join all sisters and brothers of all faiths to pray for the speedy recovery of Father Christopher Lee," the federation wrote.

They also urged all Singaporeans to avoid engaging in speculation or spread rumours.

Sikh community

The Sikh Advisory Board relayed their shock and sadness towards the incident.

"Places of worship are sacred spaces and we cannot tolerate any violent acts there just as we do not in the rest of Singapore," they added.

Similarly, they urged everyone not to speculate on the incident.

Other organisations

The Harmony Circles Coordinating Council, the Inter-Religious Organisation Singapore, and the National Council of Churches of Singapore have also responded to the attack. You can read them here:

Overreacting will allow evil to triumph: Cardinal William Goh

A pastoral letter issued by Cardinal William Goh on Nov. 10 acknowledged that the attack has "sown fear in the community" and urged the community to be prepared without overreacting.

"In short, we must continue living our lives normally, while taking practical precautions and looking out for each other."

The Archdiocesan Emergency Response Operations (AERO) Council that was set up in 2016 will review their security protocols to ensure the places of worship remain safe for everyone, Goh said.

He also assured that the Church members are trained to be vigilant in taking note of visitors who may appear to be suspicious. In addition, the Church also works regularly with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore Police Force on security matters.

"Although we cannot prevent every incident of this nature from taking place, we must, as a community, be both mentally and operationally ready to guard against them, and mitigate the consequences when they do happen.

...

Going overboard with security measures may discourage the faithful from coming to worship because of the hassle they have to go through. Overreacting would show a lack of courage, allowing evil to triumph by controlling our lives"

Goh also thanked religious organisations and individuals for their support following the incident.

"My gratitude also goes to the Religious Organisations and individuals who wrote to me to express their solidarity, and also to those who stepped forward to provide support, assuring their prayers for Father Christopher and the Church during this difficult time."

He also reminded people to continue to work together to preserve religious and racial harmony, and "not allow confused individuals to sow seeds of division and fear in our midst".

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Top photo via Cardinal William Goh video and Alvin Tan/Facebook