On April 28 morning, a group of Maoists entered Assumption Church, the main church in Kathmandu, and asked Fr Silas Bogati, the acting parish priest “if the spacious church could accommodate some of their supporters … for a few days.” A source who requested anonymity told UCA News the Maoists gave the priest “an hour to reply.”
Fr Bogati, who is also the executive director of Caritas Nepal, the local Church’s social service agency, then went to see Jesuit Bishop Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal,who lives nearby, the source said. According to Bishop Sharma,
Jesuit regional superior Fr Lawrence Maniyar spoke with the Maoist leaders whom he is acquainted with to help them “understand” the Church’s position. “I have just told the Maoists that the church is not like some open local temple area,” Fr Maniyar told UCA News. “If they still come to the church, I think that the gates can be closed. Then if they climb the gates, the local press can carry the story the next day.”
Another source told UCA News that some Protestant churches would “no doubt be used by Maoists” as they have already been asked to accommodate people for the May Day rally. Maoists have already brought some people to suburban Kathmandu, with families in villages asked to contribute at least one member for the rally. Maryknoll Fr Joseph Thaler who has been on his motorbike going in and out of Kathmandu, told UCA News, “There is a lot of movement of people in the highways already.” The Maoists have said they will stage a strike from May 2 onward if their demand for the present government to resign is not met at their “historic” May 1 rally
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