The Catholic Church in Malaysia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The apostolic nuncio to Malaysia is currently Archbishop Wojciech Załuski, who was appointed on 22 September 2020;[2] The current resident ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See is Hendy anak Assan.[3]
The first Catholic priests landed in Malacca in 1511 as military chaplains to the Portuguese. The missionaries were Franciscan and Dominican friars. Malacca subsequently became a stop-over for thousands of missionaries who spread the faith to South and Far East Asia. Until today, small Christian communities can be found in these places as a result of missionary zest. Malacca holds a special place in the history of the Church in this region.
From the 7th to the 14th century, numerous small kingdoms which were strongly Hindu, existed at river mouths. The Sri Vijaya Empire extended its great influence to the region. In 1403, a prince from Sumatra, Parameswara, founded Malacca. He later converted to Islam and took the name of Sri Maharaja Mohammed Shah.
Voyages of St. Francis Xavier, a Catholic missionary who preached in Malacca
The year 1511 marked the arrival of the Portuguese, led by Admiral Afonso de Albuquerque, and the first Catholic chaplains. The Portuguese captured Malacca for its well-known spice trade. Between 1545 and 1552, St Francis Xavier preached in Malacca. By 1557, Malacca was raised to a suffragan see (deputy diocese). In 1641, the occupation of Malacca by the Dutch began and the authorities in power suppressed Catholicism. The bishops and priests fled to Timor.
In 1786, Sir Francis Light took over Penang from the sultan of Kedah. Finally in 1809, the College General in Penang was opened again and seminarians from all over Asia came to be trained there. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles took residence in Singapore. In 1824, the Anglo-Dutch Treaty was signed and the Netherlands exchanged Malacca for Bencoolan, Indonesia. Later, in 1826, Penang, Province Wellesley, Malacca and Singapore became the Straits Settlement under British rule. In 1852, the Sisters of St Maur or the Infant Jesus sisters (IJ) and the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (La Salle Brothers) sailed over to found Christian schools in major towns in Peninsular Malaysia. The sisters also began orphanages. In 1864, Chinese tin miners settled at the confluence of the muddy Klang and Gombak river mouth, the beginning of Kuala Lumpur. In 1874, the Treaty of Pangkor marked the direct British rule over the Malay states, while the sultans still maintained religious sovereignty. By the end 19th century, Malaysia was booming with massive immigration of Chinese and Indians who were invited to work in the tin mines, rubber plantation and railways by the British.
Catholicism first came to North Borneo (now Sabah), when a Spanish mariner turned priest, Carlos Cuarteroni, established a Catholic mission in 1857 in Labuan, with stations established in Brunei and Looc Porin (now Kota Kinabalu). However, problems with his assistants left him alone from 1860 and the mission made little progress, and he returned to Spain. The Catholic Mill Hill Missionaries arrived in North Borneo in 1882 to re-establish the Spaniards effort, and focused mainly on the Chinese and indigenous communities, such as the Kadazan-Dusun people.[4]
Meanwhile, in Sarawak, the Mill Hill Missionaries was invited by the White Rajahs in the hope that it would be a stabilizing influence to the native Iban people.
During the years 1942–1945 of the Second World War and the Japanese occupation, schools were closed; and the people suffered a lot. In the years 1948–1960, the communist insurrection was very hostile to the Catholic Church. On 1 February 1948, the Federation of Malaya Government was formed. In 1955, the two dioceses of Kuala Lumpur and Penang were created and the consecration of first local bishops Dominic Vendargon and Francis Chan took place. In 1957, on 31 August, Malaya gained independence, and its first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, was appointed. In 1962, Pope John XXIII called for the renewal of the Church and opened the Second Vatican Council. On 16 September 1963, a big country uniting Malaysia with Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak was created but by 1965, Singapore broke up with Malaysia and became an independent republic. On 13 May 1969, racial violence and killings were recorded in the aftermath of the elections. A state of emergency was declared and a curfew imposed. In 1970, the New Economic Policy was introduced with quota systems. Over the decade, Christians were discriminated against and Catholic and other Christian missionaries were expelled from Sabah. However, in 1972, the new diocese of Malacca-Johor was created, making a total of six in Malaysia (three in the West, and three in Eastern Malaysia). In 1973, Malaysia became the first ASEAN country to recognise China. From 1970 to 1975 the resurgence of communist activities in the north and in urban centres created more political mayhem and led to persecutions against the Christians. In 1974, the first permanent deacon from Malaysia was ordained. Between 1975 and 1980, Vietnamese refugees (boat people) arrived in throngs and put a new stress on the country. In 1976, a month-long Aggiornamento (in Penang) for bishops and priests of West Malaysia was held. A vision for the Peninsular Malaysia Church was formulated.
The consolidation of the Catholic faith (1977–2001)
Parallel to the economical and industrial development of the nation, the Catholic Church in Malaysia grew considerably during these years, emphasising on inter-religious dialogue, oecumenism and religious freedom.
In 1977, the first Catholic Charismatic Convention was organised in Ipoh. In 1979, the Asian Bishop's Institute for Social Action met in Kuala Lumpur for dialogue on religions. In 1981, a new gathering of all priests from West Malaysia to review the Aggiornamento of 1976 was organised. In 1983, the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism (MCCBCHS) for dialogue was formed to represent their interests with the authorities. In the same way and with a spirit of oecumenism, the Christian Federation of Malaysia consisting of the Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical churches was formed in 1984. In 1986, the Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention (PMPC I) included Ministry to Youth as part of the core needs, besides poor, inter-religious dialogue, unity, formation and community building. In 1989, Sarawak made huge efforts in a successful attempt of renewal with a Eucharistic Congress, a Bible Year and a Bible Congress.
In 1995, churches in Sarawak requested the state to allow other faith education in schools besides Islam. In 1996, PMPA II gathered reviews and reaffirmed Aggiornamento 1976 and PMPC 1986. There was a renewed call for systematic and strategic planning and implementation. In 1998, the Deputy Prime Minister was arrested and the Reformasi movement started. In 1999, the Great Jubilee Year of redemption was declared open by Pope John Paul II. The first joint Community Spirituality retreat among bishops, priests, religious and laity was organised. In 2001, the First Peninsula Malaysia Young Catholic Leaders Forum or LEAD 2001 was organised. PMPA III was held at Kuala Lumpur re-emphasised BECs.[5]
Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Holy See were initiated by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad when he met Pope John Paul II before his (Tun Mahathir) resignation. The negotiations continued on until Najib Razak became the prime minister. Malaysia established formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 2011 during a meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. Najib was accompanied by the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam. Archbishop Pakiam went to Vatican not as part of Malaysian Government, but was asked by Vatican to join the delegation as Church representative.[6]
The first resident ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See, Tan SriBernard Giluk Dompok, was elected in October 2015 by Pope Francis. The year 2017 marked the opening of the official chancery of the Holy See in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Following the change of government from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Harapan after the 14th general election, Bernard Giluk Dompok was terminated of his service on 30 June 2018.[7]
Westmoreland Edward Palon, who was named by Wisma Putra as Malaysia's second ambassador to the Vatican on 21 March, is a Bidayuh who hails from Kampung Duras, Kuching.[8]
The Apostolic Nunciature in Malaysia was established on the 27 July 2011 through an official act of the Holy See Acta Apostolicae Sedis.[9] The current nuncio is Archbishop Wojciech Zaluski.[10]
21st century
The Cathedral of St. John is the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.
As of 2020, half of Malaysian Christians were Catholic; this was 4.63% of the country's population.[11]
The country is divided into nine dioceses including three archdioceses:
The Catholic Church in Malaysia has its own weekly newspaper, The Herald, distributed to all Catholic churches throughout Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak also have their own local newspapers, such as Catholic Sabah (fortnightly), and Today's Catholic (monthly).
Christianity is a minority religion in Malaysia. In the 2020 census, 9.1% of the Malaysian population identified themselves as Christians. About two-thirds of Malaysia's Christian population lives in East Malaysia, in the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Adherents of Christianity represent a majority (50.1%) of the population in Sarawak, which is Malaysia's largest state by land area. Christianity is one of four major religions, including Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, that have a freedom protected by the law in Malaysia based on diversity law especially in East Malaysia.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction covering the territory of Brunei and headed by an apostolic vicar. The first apostolic vicar was Cornelius Sim, who was created a cardinal in 2020 and died in May 2021.
The Archdiocese of Malacca-Singapore was a Latin archdiocese in Malaysia and Singapore.
The Church of the Province of South East Asia is an autonomous member of the Anglican Communion, created in 1996 with the four dioceses of Kuching, Sabah, Singapore and West Malaysia.
The Archdiocese of Singapore is an exempt archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church. Its territory includes all that is under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Singapore.
The College General is a Catholic interdiocesan seminary located at Tanjong Bungah in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The college's foundation can be traced back to the 1665 establishment of the Seminary of Saint Joseph in Ayuthia which was then the capital of Siam.
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia. It was erected as the Diocese of Kuala Lumpur by Pope Pius XII on 25 February 1955, and was elevated to the rank of a Metropolitan Archdiocese on 18 December 1972, with the suffragan sees of Malacca-Johor and Penang. It also administers the capital city of Malaysia, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur as well as the federal administrative centre of Putrajaya and the urbanised states of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan in the central region as well as Pahang and Terengganu on the East Coast. The archdiocese's Mother Church and thus, seat of its Archbishop, is St. John's Cathedral. It was one of the three Roman Catholic archdioceses in Malaysia, with the ecclesiastical archdioceses of Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, both at the Borneo Islands.
The Diocese of West Malaysia is an Anglican diocese which covers the entire West Malaysia. The Diocese of West Malaysia (DWM) was founded on 8 April 1970, as DWM together with Diocese of Singapore split from Diocese of Singapore and Malaya. As a result, Diocese of Singapore and Malaya was dissolved.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang is situated in the northern as well as the east coast region of Peninsular Malaysia covering 4 northern states, namely Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak as well as the east coast state of Kelantan. It was created on 25 February 1955 together with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. It is under the ecclesiastical province of Kuala Lumpur.
Archbishop Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam, P.S.M., P.J.N. was the third metropolitan archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 2003 to 2013. He is styled His Grace The Most Reverend Archbishop Tan Sri Datuk.
The Diocese of Malacca Johore is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the ecclesiastical province of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It is located in southern region of Peninsular Malaysia, administering Melaka and Johor states.
Holy See–Malaysia relations are foreign relations between the Holy See and Malaysia.
Anthony Soter Fernandez was a Malaysian prelate of the Catholic Church who was the first Malaysian cardinal. He was Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur from 1983 to 2003.
Antony Selvanayagam is the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Penang, Malaysia. He was elected by Pope John Paul II as the 4th bishop of Penang after the transfer of his predecessor, Bishop Anthony Soter Fernandez to the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur as the 2nd archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. From 1980–1983, he was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, holding the titular see of Giru Mons. He retired in 2012 due to old age, and was succeeded by Msgr. Sebastian Francis as the new Bishop of Penang. He has served as head of the church's Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs.
2013 was the 56th anniversary of Malaysia's independence.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Malaysia is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to Malaysia, equivalent to an embassy. It is located at 17 Jalan Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur.
Julian Leow Beng Kim is a Malaysian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur since 2014. He also serves as president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
Events in 2016 in Malaysia.
Francis Chan was a Singaporean bishop of the Catholic Church. After finishing high school in Singapore, he studied for the priesthood at College General in Penang and was ordained a priest in 1939. Chan first served as an assistant pastor in Ipoh until 1946, with a three year interruption due to World War II. He subsequently returned to his hometown after the Japanese occupation ended and served as parish priest there for nine years. When the Holy See created the first two Malaysian dioceses of Kuala Lumpur and Penang in 1955, Chan was appointed as bishop of the latter see. He was consecrated in August of that same year, becoming one of the first two local bishops from Malaysia. A Council Father of the Second Vatican Council, Chan attended two sessions held at St. Peter's Basilica in 1962 and 1964. He died of terminal cancer in 1967. Chan was dubbed "The Singing Bishop" due to his penchant for music.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Catholicismportal 
Catholic Churchportal 
