We came across a post on a Singapore-focused Reddit forum featuring a TikTok video that appears to show a priest in a Catholic church burning joss sticks. The video includes footage of two church services, one where a priest blesses Chinese New Year offerings such as melons and lanterns with holy water, while the second service involves a priest burning and offering joss sticks. The hashtags #Singapore and #SingaporeViral that accompany the TikTok post suggest that the events took place at a local church.
Reactions to the post were mixed. Some commenters saw no issue with the practice and suggested that the original poster was attempting to provoke controversy. However, one comment alleged that the church was blending religious practices to attract more financial contributions from its followers.
Although Singapore is known for its strong inter-religious harmony, burning joss sticks in a Catholic church is unusual, and the practice is more commonly observed in Buddhism or Taoism. The Catholic Church generally discourages syncretism – the blending of different religious beliefs and practices – so some may view this act as conflicting with Catholic religious principles. Furthermore, this video emerged at a time of heightened concern and sensitivities after two high-profile incidents of violence against priests in Singapore.
With these considerations in mind, we tried to trace whether this practice took place in Singapore.
Can Catholics burn joss sticks in church in Singapore?
Burning joss sticks is a deeply significant ritual in Buddhism and Taoism, symbolising devotion, purifications and respect for deities and ancestors. In Buddhist practice, offering incense is a devout act of offering, and the rising smoke is believed to express their faith in Buddha. In Taoist traditions, joss sticks serve as offerings to spirits or deities, and the smoke from a lit incense can carry wishes to deities.
Singapore’s Catholic community does include a substantial number of Chinese Singaporeans, many of whom have familial or cultural ties to Buddhist and Taoist customs.
Incense holds a sacred place in Catholicism but is used as a symbol of sanctification and employed in divine worship rather than communication with spirits or ancestors. The Catholic church has strict guidelines on the use of incense – to be burned in a censer during services like funerals and other solemn ceremonies. In a nutshell, rather than an offering to ancestors, Catholics burn incense as a form of reverence to God.
Archbishop William Goh using incense to bless the St. Francis Xavier Seminary Building in Singapore. Image by: St Francis Xavier Major Seminary
Although the act of burning incense appears to be similar across different traditions, its underlying message and how it is done differs significantly. This theological distinction is why burning joss sticks in a Catholic church may be seen as inconsistent with Catholic worship practices. As a result, a Catholic priest openly burning joss sticks in a church in Singapore could raise questions about how such practices align with the Church’s teachings. Such actions could also lead to misunderstandings or unintended tensions within and beyond the Catholic community in Singapore.
If some Catholics perceive the act as a violation of Catholic doctrine, it could lead to internal backlash, potentially affecting the priest’s standing within the Church. Similarly, if Buddhists or Taoists feel that their practices are being misused or misrepresented, it could cause tension that, in extreme cases, might result in hostility.
Was the video captured in Singapore?
We conducted a reverse image search and found additional clips posted on TikTok and X, including a longer clip of the ceremony. From there, we traced the footage to the Jesus Caritas Catholic Church in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We also found a photo album of their Lunar New Year celebrations in 2022, where a priest is seen burning joss sticks and conducting a rite of ancestral veneration.
We also found a post from another church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that conducts a similar practice of ancestral veneration during the Lunar New Year festivities. Furthermore, a 2024 article discusses how this practice has sparked division within the Catholic community, with differing opinions on its appropriateness and significance. Some argue that the practice contradicts Christian beliefs, while others defend its cultural relevance.
Therefore, the claim that these videos depict a priest in a Catholic church in Singapore burning joss sticks is false.
As noted by commenters on the post, the original poster may have been attempting to stir controversy by using a vague caption that appears to call out a religious or traditional practice, particularly by sharing a post with the hashtag #Singapore, even though the event did not take place in Singapore. This highlights the importance of being cautious with such posts before sharing them, as they can easily spread false information or fuel unnecessary divisions in a society like Singapore that values harmony and respect among diverse cultures and beliefs.
