BISHOPS FROM MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE AND BRUNEI WITH THE HOLY FATHER DURING THEIR AD LIMINA IN JUNE 2008. From L to R: Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Hii and Bishop Dominic Su (Sibu), Bishop Cornelius Sim (Brunei), Bishop Cornelius Piong (Keningau), Archbishop Nicholas Chia (Singapore), Bishop Antony Selvanayagam (Penang), Archbishop John Ha, Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam, Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop John Lee (Kota Kinabalu), Archbishop Emeritus Dato’ Sri Peter Chung, Bishop Anthony Lee (Miri), Bishop Emeritus James Chan and Bishop Paul Tan (Melaka-Johor), Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom (Sandakan)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Malaysian Catholic bishops called the escalation of violence against Christian churches in their country a "worrisome and delicate," situation, according to Fides, the Vatican missionary news agency.

"The Malaysian church is concerned and did not expect that the question of the use of the word "Allah" would be followed by a reaction of this kind, with attacks against churches and Christian buildings," the bishops said Jan. 11, according to the news agency.

"There is an urgent need to work for dialogue and social harmony, to defuse the conflict that fundamentalist groups are trying to ignite in the nation." they said.

The violence was triggered by a recent Malaysian court ruling. The High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that a national Catholic weekly can use the word "Allah" to refer to God and that the Home Ministry's order banning certain uses of the word was illegal.

The court decision met with opposition by many in the Muslim-majority nation, and some Malaysians responded with violence.

A series of reprisals on Catholic and other Christian churches, including firebombings and acts of vandalism, began soon after the Dec. 31 court decision.

The violence escalated Jan. 10 when two churches were attacked, one Catholic and one Anglican, in Taiping in the state of Perak. The same day, a Baptist church in Malacca was marred with black paint and a Catholic church in Miri was pelted with stones, according to Fides.

An Evangelical church in Malaysian Borneo was attacked by vandals on Jan. 11.

The escalation of violence prompted the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei to change the agenda of its previously scheduled meeting, which began Jan. 11, in order to deal immediately with the mounting crisis, Fides reported.

It said the Malaysian Catholic bishops began meeting with Malaysian civil authorities to help to restore order in the country.

"Meetings with civil authorities and dialogue with Muslim leaders are ongoing and will continue in the coming days," the bishops said.

"We must act in harmony and seek the necessary cooperation of the government and the high religious authorities in order to restore a peaceful environment to Malaysian society," they said.

The bishops said Christians "will do everything possible to keep calm, not retaliate, and pray to avoid a dangerous escalation of the violence."