KUCHING — On 11 March, a requiem Mass was celebrated for the late Bernard Then at St Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching. In solidarity with the bereaved family, the clergy and the parishioners prayed for the repose of the soul of Bernard Then and all victims of religious extremists.
In his homily, Archbishop John Ha said he believed that as Jesus’ senselessly death on the Cross and resurrection became the “path to salvation and conversion”, likewise “Bernard’s senseless and violent death at the hands of perpetrators of evil could turn out to be a way to draw people back to God”.
Despite the deep sense of lost, the bereaved family of Bernard Then forgave his murderers. “Their Christian love for others gave them the generosity and courage to forgive those responsible for the death of their beloved Bernard,” said the Archbishop.
The prelate hoped that the death of Bernard is “a wake-up call to the authorities to beef up ways to protect the lives of innocent people and ensure peace in our country and in the world.”
The late Bernard Then, aged 39, was taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf extremists in Sandakan, Sabah together with Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, on 14 May 2015. They were taken to the southern Philippine province of Sulu. Thien was later freed. On 11 November 2015, the extremists beheaded Bernard after the negotiation for increased ransom failed, according to the sources.
Bernard’s remains was cremated on 15 January in Manila, Philippines and brought back to Malaysia the next day. The funeral Mass for Bernard was held at the Church of St Francis Xavier, Petaling Jaya on 18 January. His ashes was interred at Subang Lutheran Garden, Shah Alam.
Audrey Yu
The full homily of Archbishop John Ha can be found on The Archbishop’s Desk.
