Singapore: Catholic priest stabbed during children's mass, attacker held

Singapore, Nov 10 (PTI) A Catholic priest was stabbed during a mass performed by children at a church, police said.

Members of the congregation, including the Archdiocesan Emergency Response team, helped subdue the 37-year-old assailant, reported Channel News Asia.

The attack happened during communion at the parish’s monthly children's mass on Saturday, when children perform duties, usually undertaken by adults, according to the Channel report.

Father Christopher Lee, who is the parish priest of the church, was stabbed by the man during evening mass. The 57-year-old Father Lee is currently warded at National University Hospital. The police said he is in a stable condition.

Expressing shock and sadness, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he hoped parishioners would heal from this "traumatic event".

"Violence has no place in Singapore. Most of all, we must uphold the safety and sanctity of our places of worship - places where people seek peace, solace, and community," Wong wrote in a Facebook post.

The accused will be charged in court on Monday with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon, following the stabbing of the priest.

If found guilty, the man, who was not named by the police in a media briefing in the early hours of Sunday, faces a jail term of up to 15 years, as well as a fine or caning.

The police will seek a court order to remand the man to the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric evaluation.

"He has past antecedents for serious hurt and misuse of drugs offences," the Channel had the police saying.

"Based on the preliminary investigations, the man is believed to have acted alone and the police do not suspect that this is an act of terrorism, for now," police said.

The police said there is currently no evidence to suggest that it was a religiously motivated attack.

Two men who helped disarm the assailant were awarded the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) Public Spiritedness Award after the media briefing at the Jurong Police Division Headquarters.

“We saw our priest being attacked. It was very instinctive that we had to go and disarm this person,” said Richard Tan Chai Boon, one of the two who subdued the assailant.

The other award recipient, Damien Liew Khee Rui, said, "I needed to do something to make sure that no one else gets hurt, or (that) nothing bad further happens." “Let us stay calm and united, supporting each other in the spirit of harmony and resilience that defines us as Singaporeans," Rui said.

Cardinal Goh, the head of the Catholic Church in Singapore, said he was "shocked and deeply saddened that violence has been committed against one of our beloved priests in the house of God while he was celebrating Mass".

"I am also very concerned about the psychological impact this incident may have had on our children and all who witnessed this attack," he said on his social media accounts.

AMP Singapore, a non-profit organisation serving the Muslim community, wished Father Christopher a swift recovery and said violence of any kind is "unacceptable and should not be tolerated".

The Sikh Advisory Board expressed a similar sentiment, noting that places of worship are sacred spaces. It also urged people to remain calm and not speculate about the incident.

LoveSingapore, a Christian movement, also condemned the attack and said, "We stand with our brothers and sisters in the Catholic church denouncing violence in any place of worship." Calling the attack "senseless", "unprovoked" and "appallingly heinous", the Singapore Buddhist Federation said it would join those from all faiths to pray for the quick recovery of Father Christopher.

The Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), which aims to promote harmony between the different faiths, urged the public to show support for the Catholic community in the multi-ethnicity city-state. PTI