KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Catholics, in particular from the Diocese of Penang and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, have expressed their profound happiness and jubilation on the appointment of the Bishop of Penang, Rt Rev Dato’ Seri Sebastian Francis as Malaysia’s second Roman Catholic cardinal.
Pope Francis, in his message as quoted by the Vatican News said, ‘I would like to announce that where the cardinals come from expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim the Merciful Love of God to all people of the earth.
Bishop Sebastian Francis is the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Penang, which comprises the states of Kedah, Perlis, Perak, Kelantan and Penang.
He is also the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and will be among the 21 newly elected cardinals who will be appointed in a consistory at the Vatican on September 30, 2023.
Bishop Sebastian, in his personal message, also conveyed his heartfelt and humble gratitude on being elected cardinal and says that the appointment will enable him to carry forward the mission of the Church in promoting peace, harmony and love of humankind.
“I am happy to follow in the footsteps of the late Cardinals Soter Fernandez (Malaysia) and Cornelius Sim (Brunei), and Cardinal William Goh (Singapore), all from the Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Together with them and the Church in Asia, we give joint witness to the universality of the Catholic Church and the Apostolic continuity of the Mission entrusted by the risen Christ to St Peter, the Apostles and their successors. May the Mission primarily entrusted to the Holy Spirit continue in Malaysia, Asia and beyond.
“The Mission continues through many members of the laity, the religious and the clergy, who are all disciples and labourers in God’s vineyard and garden, together with the multitudes of the People of God everywhere. Together we seek and build God’s Kingdom of Joy, Mercy and Hope,” said the prelate.
Bishop Sebastian was born on November 11, 1951, in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. He joined the Juniorate of the Brothers of St Gabriel in Singapore and resided with the Brothers in Community from 1964 to 1966, then joined St Francis Xavier’s Minor Seminary in Singapore from 1967 to 1970.
In 1971, he enrolled in College General Major Seminary in Penang, Malaysia. On July 28, 1977, he was ordained a diocesan priest of the Malacca-Johore Diocese at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, by Bishop James Chan Soon Cheong.
From October 1981, Fr Sebastian studied at the Angelicum Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy for a licentiate in Dogmatic Theology, and graduated in June 1983. He also studied at the Maryknoll School of Theology in New York, USA and obtained an advanced degree in Justice and Peace from July 1990 to June 1991.
On July 7, 2012, he was appointed as Bishop of Penang and installed on August 20, 2012.
He held the post of vice president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) and the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) from 2015 to 2017.
Bishop Sebastian is also a member of the Central Committee for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) and was recently appointed as the chairman of the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conference – Office of Social Communication on January 1, 2023.
