Christians make up about 8.2 percent of the population of Myanmar. The overwhelming majority of these are Protestants, with Roman Catholics comprising most of the rest; there is, however, a small community of Armenian Orthodox Christians.
For more ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in Myanmar, see here.
“Catholic church set ablaze in conflict-torn Myanmar,” UCA News, June 16, 2022:
St. Matthew Church in Dognekhu Parish of Loikaw Diocese was set ablaze on June 15.
Soldiers had encamped inside the church and burned it down along with several homes before leaving the area, according to church sources.
Local media reports said fighting between the military and Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) has intensified in Phrosuo and Demoso townships of Kayah state since June 6.
At least nine Catholic churches have been hit by artillery shelling and airstrikes by Myanmar’s military in Loikaw Diocese since the conflict between military and rebel forces erupted in May 2021.
Myanmar’s junta has continued targeting churches and civilian properties in states like Kayah, which have sizable Christian populations, while also attacking historic Catholic villages in Bamar Buddhist-majority regions, killing innocent people and burning homes and livestock.
The worst attack was reported from Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Kanyantharyar, a village near Loikaw, on May 23, 2021, that left four Catholics dead and eight others wounded in artillery shelling.
The latest attack on a church came only a few days after bishops appealed to parties in the conflict to respect the sanctity of places of worship, hospitals and schools….
