KUCHING: Catholic Archbishop Datuk Dr Simon Poh has called for compassion and understanding following an incident at St Joseph’s Cathedral here, where a man believed to be mentally distressed, threw a liquor bottle towards the church altar.
In appealing to the public, Poh asked everyone to be kind with the man and not to further spread the video of the incident nor post comments that add more pain and stigma to the man and his family members.
“As Catholics, Christians, and people of goodwill, this event is an invitation to show mercy, kindness and support for those who are struggling in life, especially with mental difficulties.
“We are grateful that the incident also allowed for police and medical intervention where he can now receive proper medical attention and treatment.
“We consider this a medical situation and as such, no police report was lodged,” he said in a statement in response to the incident that occurred during the Sunset Mass on Saturday.
He also urged everyone to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God that everyone is safe and pray for the man who is now receiving medical help and continue to give emotional support to his immediate family.
Poh said mental disorder causes emotional distress like anxiety and depression, that can be expressed in aggressive social behaviour and even suicidal tendency.
“Instead of condemning or causing further distress to the family, we are to reach out to offer help, reduce such stigma, and offer support to the caregivers and family members,” he said.
On the incident which startled the congregation, Poh said it was swiftly managed by parishioners who calmly escorted the man out of the cathedral.
“We learnt from social media that the man was mentally disturbed after the death of his mother.
“And we are grateful that there was no physical violence, and we thank the police for the fast response to come to the cathedral to escort the person and send him for medical treatment,” he said.
He added, in the events that followed, the altar servers and sacristan quickly cleaned up the broken pieces of bottle.
The teachers held the children who were preparing to enter the cathedral after attending the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, in their hands.
The priest Fr Albert came down to the aisle to comfort the children and congregation, and the choir continued singing.
“The whole church prayed to our heavenly Father with the Lord’s Prayer, interceding for his healing and recovery, and Holy Mass continued,” he said.
Poh said as Catholics in this 40-day of Lent and in preparation for Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it is a time to remember those who are suffering, whether materially, emotionally or spiritually.
“Acts of kindness, such as donating blood or supporting families in need, embody the spirit of our faith,” he said.
The Archbishop also emphasised the importance of making churches welcoming spaces where everyone can find hope and peace.
“For the Catholic Church worldwide, we are celebrating 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Hope.
“May everyone who enters our churches experience God’s love and mercy, and depart with hope and peace to make society and the world a better place,” he said.
