Surging Violence: The Global Rise of Attacks on Priests
Attacks against priests appear to be on the rise around the globe following the latest assault in which a priest in Singapore was stabbed in the face during a Mass on Saturday Nov. 9, marking at least the third attack of its kind this month.
Father Christopher Lee – parish priest of St. Joseph Church in the west-central Singapore region of Bukit Timah – was attacked by Basnayake Keith Spencer with a knife while he was distributing Holy Communion, reported Catholic media outlet OSV News on Friday.
Spencer has reportedly been charged with the “offense of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by a dangerous weapon” and remanded by a court in Singapore for three weeks.
Father Lee suffered a “laceration on his tongue,” along with cuts on his upper lip and the corner of his mouth. Thankfully, he is recovering from these injuries.
However, Father Lee was not alone in facing violence that day. In Spain’s Valencia region, a monastery also came under attack. A middle-aged man stormed in, proclaiming “I am Jesus Christ.” His chaotic entrance resulted in injuries to three friars at the Monastery of Santo Espíritu del Monte in Gilet, as he brandished a blunt object in a furious outburst. This violent scene culminated in the tragic death of Father Juan Antonio Llorente, 76, two days later in a hospital.
On the same day, tragedy struck in Poland as well. Father Lech Lachowicz, 72, succumbed to brain damage resulting from an axe attack just a week prior in his rectory in Szczytno. The assailant, a 27-year-old man amidst an alleged robbery attempt, has since been apprehended.
This wave of violence against clergy members raises profound concerns about the safety of religious figures. Just a month earlier, a priest was attacked in his Philadelphia home, a reminder that such events aren’t isolated but part of a troubling trend that demands attention.
The alarming prevalence of hate crimes is evident, extending beyond just Catholic clergy. A recent report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) revealed that across 48 nations, more than 4,480 incidents targeted Jews, along with over 580 against Christians and approximately 240 against Muslims.
Interestingly, while anti-Christian and anti-Muslim incidents declined from previous years, crimes against Jews have surged by over 20%. In the U.S., attacks against Catholics, while serious, lag behind incidents directed at Sikhs and Jews. The aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel has likely exacerbated the rising tension and subsequent assaults on religious figures.
According to FBI statistics, although there was a slight overall decrease in hate crimes for 2023, religiously motivated incidents soared by 20%. This sharp increase is not just unsettling but indicates a societal shift towards accepting violence as a response to differing beliefs.
While over half of the religion-based hate crimes reported in 2022 were of anti-Jewish bias, this year it escalated to 67%. Anti-Muslim crimes and attacks against Sikhs and Catholics, though smaller in number, are also part of a wider narrative of intolerance. These sensitivities resonate on local levels as communities grapple with their shared spaces in parks, churches, and streets.
Across the pond, the situation mirrors that of the U.S., as a similar trend emerged in Britain and Wales, revealing a 25% increase in religion-based hate crimes in a landscape where overall crime rates fell. In 2023, attacks against Jews skyrocketed, doubling to over 3,280 incidents—a stark reminder of how vulnerable these community members are, often caught in the crossfire of heated global tensions.
The profound question remains: what does it take for individuals to recognize the humanity in one another, irrespective of faith? Every attack resonates deeply, not only as a threat to individuals but as a reflection of a collective society struggling with its own divisions and biases. In a world crying out for connection, it is tragic that such violence has become a disturbing norm rather than an exception.
