Murphy Pakiam

Last updated

His Grace The Most Reverend

Tan Sri Datuk
Murphy Pakiam

P.S.M., P.J.N.
Archbishop Emeritus of Kuala Lumpur
Archbishop Murphy Pakiam.jpg
Motto: Mercy and Peace [1]
See Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur
Latin: Archidioecesis Kuala Lumpurensis
Installed29 May 2003
Term ended13 December 2013
Predecessor Anthony Soter Fernandez
Successor Julian Leow Beng Kim
Orders
Ordination10 May 1964
Consecration4 October 1995
by  Anthony Soter Fernandez
Personal details
Born (1938-12-06) 6 December 1938 (age 86)
Tapah, Perak, Federated Malay States
NationalityMalaysian
Denomination Roman Catholic
ResidenceRumah Uskup Agung (Archbishop's House), Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur [2]
Alma mater Lateran University
Coat of arms Mitre (plain).svg

Archbishop Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam, P.S.M., P.J.N. (born 6 December 1938) 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.

Contents

Pakiam was born in Tapah, Perak and was ordained into the priesthood on 10 May 1964. He was appointed metropolitan archbishop of Kuala Lumpur on 24 May 2003, and was installed five days later. Pakiam is the former president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei; and the publisher of the Catholic weekly newspaper, The Herald .

In 2007, Pakiam filed for a judicial review after The Herald was ordered to stop using the Arabic word "Allah" in its publication by the Malaysian government. In 2009, the High Court overturned the government's ban of the word. In 2010, he accepted the public apology of Al-Islam magazine, which had sent two reporters to a Catholic church the year before, where they desecrated the Eucharist.

Background

St. John's Cathedral, the seat of Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur St. John's Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur.jpg
St. John's Cathedral, the seat of Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur

Pakiam was born in Tapah, Perak, on the feast day of Saint Nicholas. [3] Educated at the Sultan Yusuf School in Batu Gajah, he entered the minor seminary in 1955 and started his priestly formation at the College General in Penang three years later. Pakiam was ordained a priest on 10 May 1964, and served as assistant priest at the Church of St. Louis, Taiping. The following year, he was posted to the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Penang and became the parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Silibin, Ipoh from 1970 to 1972. [4]

Pakiam completed his studies for a master's degree in moral theology (ethics) at the Lateran University in Rome in 1974, and upon his return to Malaysia became a lecturer at Penang's College General. In 1978, he was appointed Rector of the College General and served two terms. In 1989, he received his Masters in Guidance and Counselling from the De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines. He then served as parish priest of the Church of the Nativity in Butterworth from 1989 to 95. [4]

He was appointed as the auxiliary bishop of Kuala Lumpur and titular bishop of Chunavia on 1 April 1995, and ordained titular bishop of Chunavia, Epirus Nova [4] on 4 October 1995 at the College General in Penang. [5]

On 24 May 2003, Pakiam succeeded Anthony Soter Fernandez, who resigned due to poor health, as metropolitan archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. [3] His installation took place five days later, on 29 May 2003. His principal consecrator was Archbishop Anthony Fernandez and principal co-consecrators were Bishops James Chan Soon Cheong and Anthony Selvanayagam. [5] He was the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

On 13 December 2013, [6] the Pope accepted the resignation of Archbishop Pakiam upon his 75th birthday, without delaying until the appointment of his successor (Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim was appointed on 3 July 2014).[ citation needed ]

Coat of arms

Hat & Tassels: Symbols of an archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
Cross on yellow background: Symbol of Jesus, the Light of the world.
Blue wavy lines: Symbol of the Holy Spirit, the river of Living Waters.
Chalice & Host: The Sacraments of the Church.
Bible: The Word of God.
The letter 'M': Mary, Mother of the Church, representing all the saints.
Keys: Symbol of the Apostolic authority in the Church.
Green background: Symbolises the new life obtained through the Mercy and Peace of God. [7]

Allah judicial review

By virtue of his position as archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Pakiam is the publisher of The Herald, a weekly Catholic newspaper. [8] In 2007 The Herald, and Pakiam, as its publisher, [8] filed for a judicial review after it was ordered to stop using the Arabic word "Allah" in its publication [9] by the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs. [10] Malaysia's home minister has the power to impose prohibition as a condition under the Printing Presses and Publication Act of 1984. In the case of The Herald, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar prohibited the usage of the word "Allah" on the grounds of national security and to avoid misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims. [11]

On 31 December 2009, the High Court overturned the government ban on the use of the word "Allah" by The Herald. [12] Justice Lau Bee Lan quashed the Home Minister's prohibition against The Herald to use the word "Allah", declaring the order as "illegal, null and void". She declared that under Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, applicant Archbishop Tan Sri Pakiam had the constitutional right to use "Allah" in The Herald in the exercise of his right that religions other than Islam might be practised in peace and harmony in the country. [10]

Al-Islam magazine

Styles of
Murphy Pakiam
Mitre plain 2.png
Reference style The Most Reverend [13]
Spoken style Your Grace [14]
Religious style Archbishop
Posthumous stylenot applicable

In 2009, two Muslim reporters from Al-Islam, a small Malaysian magazine, participated in a Catholic Mass and received Holy Communion, which they then spat out and photographed. The resulting photo was then published in their May 2009 edition. [15] The magazine, which is owned by Utusan Karya, part of the Utusan Malaysia Group, sent its reporters including one Muhd Ridwan Abdul Jalil, to two churches in the Klang Valley, as part of a special investigative report. [15] The act of desecration occurred at St Anthony's Church in Jalan Robertson, Kuala Lumpur. [16]

Pakiam, the Catholic Lawyers Society, and numerous editorials in the media, [15] criticised the Attorney-General for the failure to take any action on the desecration. [17] [18] [19]

Nine months later, in March 2010, Al-Islam published an apology to the Roman Catholic Church and Christians for the article. The public apology was posted on the website of its publisher. [20] Pakiam accepted the apology and said that no further legal action would be taken against the magazine or its publishers. [21]

Honours

In 2005, the King of Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, made Pakiam a Member of the Order for Important Services or "Panglima Jasa Negara" (PJN), which carries the title "Datuk". [22] In 2008, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin made him Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia, or Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), which allows the recipients to use the title Tan Sri . [23]

Honours of Malaysia

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Host desecration</span> Form of sacrilege in some Christian denominations

Host desecration is a form of sacrilege in Christian denominations that follow the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It involves the mistreatment or malicious use of a consecrated host—the bread used in the Eucharistic service of the Divine Liturgy or Mass. It is forbidden by the Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, as well as in certain Protestant traditions. In Catholicism, where the host is held to have been transubstantiated into the body of Jesus Christ, host desecration is one of the gravest sins. Intentional host desecration incurs the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae. Throughout history, a number of groups have been accused of desecrating the Eucharist, often with grave consequences due to the spiritual importance of the consecrated host.

While freedom of religion is de jure symbolically enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution, it de facto faces many prohibitions and restrictions. A Malay in Malaysia must strictly be a Muslim, and they cannot convert to another religion. Islamic religious practices are determined by official Sharia law, and Muslims can be fined by the state for not fasting or refusing to pray. The country does not consider itself a secular state and that Islam is the state religion of the country, and individuals with no religious affiliation are viewed with hostility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church in Malaysia</span>

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; The current resident ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See is Hendy anak Assan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College General</span> Roman Catholic seminary in Malaysia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur</span> Roman Catholic archdiocese in Malaysia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of West Malaysia</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang</span> Roman Catholic diocese in Malaysia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ng Moon Hing</span> 21st-century Chinese Anglican bishop

The Most Reverend Datuk Ng Moon Hing, P.J.N. (simplified Chinese: 黄满兴; traditional Chinese: 黃滿興; pinyin: Huáng Mǎnxīng; Jyutping: Wong4 Mun5 Hing1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: N̂g Boán-heng; born 12 November 1955) is the Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia. Until February 2020 he also served as Archbishop of the Church of the Province of South East Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 in Malaysia</span>

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 2010, together with the deaths of notable Malaysians. Malaysia Day, 16 September was celebrated as a national holiday for the first time.

Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur v. Menteri Dalam Negeri was a 2009 legal decision by the High Court of Malaya holding that Christians do not have the constitutional right to use the word "Allah" in church newspapers. An appeals court overturned a previous ruling which granted that right. This verdict on appeal was later upheld by the Federal Court of Malaysia in 2014. However, the ruling was not followed by the High Court in another case in 2021. The government lodged an appeal, but later withdrew it.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei</span> Assembly of bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei of the Latin Church

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei (CBCMSB) is the episcopal conference representing the Catholic Church in the countries of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. The conference serves as a collaborative body of bishops, including diocesan bishops, coadjutors, auxiliary bishops, and diocesan administrators, who collectively oversee and guide the Church's activities in these three countries. The CBCMSB is pivotal in addressing pastoral, liturgical, and social issues relevant to the region's Catholic community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Leow Beng Kim</span> Malaysian archbishop

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Francis</span> Malaysian cardinal and bishop

Sebastian Cardinal Francis is a Malaysian prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been Bishop of Penang since 2011. Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of cardinal on 30 September 2023. He is the second cardinal from Malaysia after Anthony Soter Fernandez.

Tan Sri Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin bin Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian civil servant who served as mayor of Kuala Lumpur from 2015 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Vendargon</span>

The Most Reverend Tan Sri Dominic Aloysius Vendargon was a Ceylon Tamil priest and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.

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.

Tan Sri Datuk Mazlan bin Ahmad was a Malaysian politician who served as the 4th Mayor of Kuala Lumpur from 1992 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Phesal Talib</span> Malaysian civil servant

Tan Sri Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal bin Talib was a Malaysian public servant who served as 10th Mayor of Kuala Lumpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Visitation (Seremban)</span> Catholic church in Seremban

Church of the Visitation, Seremban, is a Roman Catholic Church located in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

References

  1. ↑ GCatholic.org. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  2. ↑ Clergy Directory Archived 26 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 Murphy Pakiam New Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine . Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 Most Rev. Archbishop Murphy Pakiam – A Chronological Journey Archived 12 January 2004 at the Wayback Machine Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  5. 1 2 Archbishop Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam catholic-hierarchy.org entry. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  6. ↑ "Vatican accepts KL Archbishop Murphy Pakiam's resignation". 16 December 2013.
  7. ↑ Coat of Arms of Archbishop Datuk Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam Archived 31 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine . Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  8. 1 2 Court filing. webcitation.org. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  9. ↑ (31 December 2009). Malaysian court rules non-Muslims may call God Allah. BBC News. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  10. 1 2 (1 January 2010). High Court grants Catholic publication Herald the right to use 'Allah' word again Archived 12 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine . The Star. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  11. ↑ (14 December 2009). Leichman, Aaron J. Malaysian Gov't, Catholic Church Take Battle Over 'Allah' to High Court. The Christian Post. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  12. ↑ (14 December 2010). Montlake, Simon. Should Christians be allowed to say 'Allah' in Malaysia?. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  13. ↑ Catholic Church hierarchy
  14. ↑ Wikihow: How to address Catholic Clergy
  15. 1 2 3 Yi Liang, Tan. (5 March 2010). AG should appreciate severity of Al-Islam incident: Catholic lawyers [ permanent dead link ]. The Sun. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  16. ↑ Church unhappy A-G dropped 'Al-Islam' case. Archived 8 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine (5 March 2010). Lourdes, Marc. New Straits Times. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  17. ↑ Malaysia defends inaction over Catholic 'desecration'. (4 March 2010). AFP. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  18. ↑ Church: No action and no apology. (5 March 2010). AsiaOne News. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  19. ↑ Church slams govt over inaction. 4 March 2010. My Sin Chew. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  20. ↑ Al-Islam apologises to Christians over special report. 6 March 2010. The Star. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  21. ↑ Chong, Debra. (8 March 2010). Archbishop accepts apology, not suing Al-Islam. Archived 17 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  22. ↑ (20 December 2005). 199 Receive Honours. BNET. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  23. ↑ (27 November 2008). 277 Receive Awards and Medals from Agung. BERNAMA. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  24. ↑ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat". Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  25. ↑ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat". Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by 3rd Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur
2003–2013		Succeeded by

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.