(LifeSiteNews) — The Catholic community in Singapore is reeling from an unexpected assault on a Catholic priest last weekend.
On November 9, a knife-wielding man named Basnayake Keith Spencer, 37, allegedly stabbed Fr. Christopher Lee while the prelate was celebrating evening Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Singapore’s Upper Bukit Timah district, according to a report by The Straits Times.
The alleged assailant reportedly advanced towards Lee while he was distributing Holy Communion.
Members of the congregation, including the Archdiocesan Emergency Response team, helped disarm the assailant, according to a statement by the Singapore archdiocese. Lee is stable and recovering in hospital.
The Archdiocesan Emergency Response team is comprised of volunteers who serve as first responders in emergencies. Catholic parishes in Singapore have their own emergency response teams, which have members attending weekend masses in the nation’s churches. The Singapore Catholic Archdiocese, which has its own team that is mobilized for major events, especially those attended by Singapore’s archbishop, Cardinal William Goh, trains these local members.
“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,” Singapore police stated after the incident.
“The public,” the police added, “is urged to remain calm and refrain from speculation as investigations are ongoing to ascertain the motive behind this incident.”
A video circulating online after the assault shows a slim man in a bloodied white T-shirt being accosted and taken away from the church with his hands held behind his back.
The Singapore police said that they found five weapons in Spencer’s possession, including the foldable knife used in the assault.
Local reports cited court documents as saying that Fr. Lee was stabbed in the mouth, leaving a 8cm laceration on his tongue, a 3cm cut on his upper left lip and 4cm cut on the corner of his mouth.
On November 11, Spencer was charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, based on local news reports.
Spencer’s case will be heard in court again on December 2. If convicted, the alleged attacker may face life imprisonment or be jailed for up to 15 years. He may also be liable to caning and/or a fine, local reports stated.
A day after the attack, police patrols were heightened at various places of worship in Singapore.
Fr. Lee, who was conscious when taken to Singapore’s National University Hospital, remains in stable condition and is still in hospital under observation. The priest spoke of forgiveness when Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan visited him at the National University Hospital on November 11.
In response to the attack on Fr. Lee, Cardinal William Goh penned a pastoral letter saying that the incident “shows us there are many troubled, confused, and hurting people in the world … [but] at the end of the day, evil will not triumph.”
“This incident has made our Church stronger, bringing our people closer through faith and prayer. It has also reminded us to remain vigilant and not to take our hard-won peace and security for granted. As a community, we will come out of this incident more resilient than ever,” added the cardinal, who has been Singapore’s archbishop since early 2013 and a cardinal since 2022.
Nonetheless, Cardinal Goh admitted, “This incident has not only grievously injured a religious leader in a place of worship but has sown fear in the community.” Goh also urged the Catholic community to be “both mentally and operationally ready to guard against them and mitigate the consequences when they do happen.”