KUCHING — On 4 March, Pope Francis appointed Auxiliary Bishop Simon Poh Hoon Seng as the new Archbishop of Kuching, to succeed Archbishop John Ha. At the same time, the Holy Father has accepted the resignation of Archbishop John Ha from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Kuching.
The new Archbishop of Kuching will be installed and take possession of the archdiocese on the Feast of St Joseph on 20 March at 7.30 pm. The ceremony will be held at St Joseph’s Cathedral (Kuching).
As the Chief Shepherd of the Archdiocese of Kuching, the Metropolitan See of Sarawak, Archbishop Simon Poh will receive the pallium from Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, 29 June.
Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Marino will perform the investiture of pallium on the new Archbishop of Kuching on 19 July in Kuching.
The pallium is a symbol of communion with the Church of Rome and the Pope.
In a recent press release, Archbishop-designate Simon Poh expressed his gratitude and loyalty to Holy Father. He pledged his commitment to the faithful, Religious, Priests of the Archdiocese of Kuching and to the Malaysian Church, building on the good work that began with Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung and carried on by Archbishop John Ha.
Today’s Catholic Vol.28 No.12 March 2017
