Two and a Half Years as an Army Base: Myanmar’s Loikaw Cathedral Is Returned to the Church

• Christ the King Cathedral in Loikaw was occupied by Myanmar’s army from November 2023
• The military used the complex as a base, and the pastoral centre was bombed
• The bishop, priests and 80 faithful fled the cathedral
• Two priests took back the church and pastoral centre in 2026

Christ the King Cathedral in Loikaw, Kayah State, Myanmar, has been returned to the Catholic Church after about two and a half years of military occupation, CathNews reported on April 7, 2026, citing Vatican News.

The army occupied the cathedral complex in November 2023 and used it as a military base against resistance forces. The pastoral centre was bombed during the occupation. Bishop Celso Ba Shwe, priests, religious and 80 faithful fled the cathedral and went into exile.

Two priests have now taken possession of the church and pastoral centre, and for the first time in three years the community gathered for the Easter Vigil. Bishop Celso Ba Shwe chose to remain in the village of Soudu with displaced Catholic families. “Today, the situation remains extremely critical, characterised by ongoing armed conflict and a severe humanitarian emergency,” said Fr Paul Tinreh, a Loikaw priest.

The return gives the diocese back its main buildings, but with damage to repair and a community still displaced.

Jamaica’s churches do not face war, but they do face hurricanes, fires and periods when buildings stand empty or are used by others. The Loikaw experience shows how much a building can suffer when a congregation loses control of it. Keeping records of a property’s condition, insuring it properly and planning for repairs can speed recovery when a church gets its building back.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com