The Irrawaddy (Eng) / X
CV NEWS FEED // New details surrounding the heroic death of a priest in Myanmar have emerged, revealing that some of his last words were, “I kneel only before God.”
CatholicVote previously reported that Fr. Donald Martin Ye Naing Win of the Archdiocese of Mandalay was killed in a targeted attack Feb. 14. According to AsiaNews, a group of gunmen from a nearby village first targeted two women who teach at the local school and then shifted their attention to the 44-year-old priest when he tried to defend them.
The gunmen belonged to the People’s Defense Forces, which AsiaNews reported is an “ensemble of rebel groups opposed to Myanmar military in control of the area where the murder took place.”
The leader of the group reportedly began slashing at Fr. Martin with a knife, which eyewitnesses said the priest submitted to “like a lamb at the slaughter.” The gunmen also ordered Fr. Martin to kneel, prompting his last words regarding kneeling before God. He reportedly added, “What can I do for you? Is there an issue we can talk about?” before dying.
Upon his death, the gunmen left but were subsequently arrested. The two women brought the murder to the Ministry of Justice of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), which operates in exile, according to AsiaNews.
AsiaNews additionally reported that the NUG said in a statement that it “strongly condemns any acts of targeting civilians, including religious leaders.”
During Fr. Martin’s Feb. 16 funeral, Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay called for “all armed groups and actors involved in the conflict to lay down their weapons and take a path of peace and reconciliation.”
