, enthroned =29 May 2003
, ended = 13 December 2013
, predecessor =
Anthony Soter Fernandez
Anthony Soter Fernandez (22 April 1932 – 28 October 2020) was a Malaysian prelate of the Catholic Church who was the first Malaysian cardinal. He was Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur from 1983 to 2003.
Biography
Anthony Soter Fernandez was born ...
, successor =
Julian Leow Beng Kim
Julian Leow Beng Kim (born 3 January 1964) is a Malaysian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur since 2014.
Early life
Archbishop Leow was born on 3 January 1964, in Seremb ...
, ordination = 10 May 1964
, consecration = 4 October 1995
, other_post =
, birth_name =
, birth_date =
, birth_place =
Tapah
Tapah is a town and the capital of Batang Padang District, Perak, Malaysia.
Name
The name "Tapah" is said to be originated from the name of a freshwater fish, ''"Ikan Tapah"''. The scientific name of the fish is '' Wallago leeri''.
The loc ...
,
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
,
Federated Malay States
)Under God's Protection
, capital = Kuala Lumpur1
, religion = Islam
, legislature = Federal Legislative Council
, type_house1 = State level
, common_languages =
, title_leader = Monarch
, leader1 ...
, death_date =
, death_place =
, buried =
, coat_of_arms = File:Mitre (plain).svg
, nationality = Malaysian
, religion =
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, residence = Rumah Uskup Agung (Archbishop's House), Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur
[
, parents =
, spouse =
, children =
, occupation =
, profession =
, alma_mater = ]Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University ( it, Pontificia Università Lateranense; la, Pontificia Universitas Lateranensis), also known as Lateranum, is a pontifical university based in Rome. The university also hosts the central session of the Ponti ...
, signature =
Archbishop Tan Sri Datuk Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam, P.S.M., P.J.N. (born 6 December 1938) was the third metropolitan archbishop
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
of the Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur ( la, Archidioecesis Kuala Lumpurensis) 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 X ...
, Malaysia, from 2003 to 2013. He is styled His Grace The Most Reverend
The Most Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures, primarily within the historic denominations of Christianity, but occasionally in some more modern traditions also. It is a variant of the more common style "The Reverend".
Anglic ...
Archbishop Tan Sri
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the southern Philippines.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and several provinces in Indonesia regul ...
Datuk
Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin.
Origin
The oldest ...
.
Pakiam was born in Tapah
Tapah is a town and the capital of Batang Padang District, Perak, Malaysia.
Name
The name "Tapah" is said to be originated from the name of a freshwater fish, ''"Ikan Tapah"''. The scientific name of the fish is '' Wallago leeri''.
The loc ...
, Perak and was ordained into the priesthood on 10 May 1964. He was appointed metropolitan archbishop of Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
on 24 May 2003, and was installed five days later. Pakiam is the former president of the ; and the publisher of the Catholic weekly newspaper, '' The Herald''.
In 2007, Pakiam filed for a judicial review
Judicial review is a process under which executive, legislative and administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. A court with authority for judicial review may invalidate laws, acts and governmental actions that are incompat ...
after ''The Herald'' was ordered to stop using the Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
word "Allah
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
" 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
Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful, contemptuous, or destructive treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.
Detail
Many consider acts of desecration to ...
the Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
.
Background
Pakiam was born in Tapah, Perak, on the feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
of St. Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...
.[ Educated at the Sultan Yusuf School in ]Batu Gajah
Batu Gajah (population 133,422) is a municipality in Kinta District, Perak, Malaysia. It is the capital of Kinta District.
Etymology
The name ''Batu Gajah'' in Malay means "elephant rock", it is presumably derived from two large boulders (''b ...
, he entered the minor seminary
A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and ...
in 1955 and started his priestly formation at the College General
The College General ( ms, Seminari Tinggi Katolik) is a Roman Catholic interdiocesan seminary located in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia. The college's foundation can be traced back to the 1665 establishment of the Seminary of Saint Joseph in A ...
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
__NOTOC__
Taiping, Tai-p’ing, or Tai Ping most often refers to:
Chinese history
* Princess Taiping (died 713), Tang dynasty princess
* Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), civil war in southern China
** Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864), the re ...
. The following year, he was posted to the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Penang and became the parish priest
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Silibin, Ipoh
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Ipoh in Perak
, pushpin_map = #Malaysia#Asia#Earth
, pushpin_mapsize = 275px
, pushpin_map_caption = Ipoh in Malaysia
, coordinates ...
from 1970 to 1972.[
Pakiam completed his studies for a ]master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in moral theology (ethics) at the Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University ( it, Pontificia Università Lateranense; la, Pontificia Universitas Lateranensis), also known as Lateranum, is a pontifical university based in Rome. The university also hosts the central session of the Ponti ...
in Rome in 1974, and upon his return to Malaysia became a lecturer at Penang's College General. In 1978, he was appointed Rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the College General and served two terms. In 1989, he received his Masters in Guidance and Counselling from the De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
, Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Philippines. He then served as parish priest of the Church of the Nativity in Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
from 1989 to 95.[
He was appointed as the auxiliary bishop of ]Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
and titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of Chunavia on 1 April 1995, and ordained titular bishop of Chunavia, Epirus Nova
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
[ on 4 October 1995 at the College General in Penang.][
On 24 May 2003, Pakiam succeeded ]Anthony Soter Fernandez
Anthony Soter Fernandez (22 April 1932 – 28 October 2020) was a Malaysian prelate of the Catholic Church who was the first Malaysian cardinal. He was Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur from 1983 to 2003.
Biography
Anthony Soter Fernandez was born ...
, who resigned due to poor health, as metropolitan archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.[ His installation took place five days later, on 29 May 2003. His principal ]consecrator
A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop.
The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churche ...
was Archbishop Anthony Fernandez and principal co-consecrators were Bishops James Chan Soon Cheong and Anthony Selvanayagam.[ He was the president of the .
On 13 December 2013, 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
Julian Leow Beng Kim (born 3 January 1964) is a Malaysian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur since 2014.
Early life
Archbishop Leow was born on 3 January 1964, in Seremb ...
was appointed on 3 July 2014).
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
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
, 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.[
]
Allah judicial review
By virtue of his position as archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Pakiam is the publisher of ''The Herald'', a weekly Catholic newspaper.[ In 2007 ''The Herald'', and Pakiam, as its publisher,][ filed for a judicial review after it was ordered to stop using the Arabic word "Allah" in its publication][ by the Malaysian ]Ministry of Home Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
.[ 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.][
On 31 December 2009, the High Court overturned the government ban on the use of the word "Allah" by ''The Herald''.][ 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.][
]
Al-Islam magazine
In 2009, two Muslim reporters from ''Al-Islam'', a small Malaysian magazine, participated in a Catholic Mass
The Mass is the central liturgical service of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, in which bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass, "the same Christ ...
and received Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
, which they then spat out and photographed. The resulting photo was then published in their May 2009 edition.[ The magazine, which is owned by Utusan Karya, part of the ]Utusan Malaysia
''Utusan Malaysia'' ( Jawi: اوتوسن مليسيا; English: ''The Malaysian Tribune'' or simply ''Utusan'') is a Malaysian Malay-language daily newspaper. Formerly owned by the Utusan Group, the newspaper is currently owned by Media Mulia.
...
Group, sent its reporters including one Muhd Ridwan Abdul Jalil, to two churches in the Klang Valley
Klang Valley ( ms, Lembah Klang; zh, 巴生谷; ) is an urban conglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and includes its adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is con ...
, as part of a special investigative report. The act of desecration occurred at St Anthony's Church in Jalan Robertson, Kuala Lumpur.[
Pakiam, the Catholic Lawyers Society, and numerous editorials in the media,][ criticised the Attorney-General for the failure to take any action on the ]desecration
Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful, contemptuous, or destructive treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.
Detail
Many consider acts of desecration to ...
.[
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.][ Pakiam accepted the apology and said that no further legal action would be taken against the magazine or its publishers.][
]
Honours
In 2005, the King of Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail ( Jawi: توانكو سيد سراج الدين ابن المرحوم توانكو سيد ڤوترا جمال الليل; born 17 May 1943) is the 7th and current Raja of Perli ...
, made Pakiam a Member of the Order for Important Services or "Panglima Jasa Negara" (PJN), which carries the title "Datuk
Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin.
Origin
The oldest ...
".[ In 2008, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong ]Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin
Al-Wathiqu Billah Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah ( Jawi: ; born 22 January 1962) is the 18th and current Sultan of Terengganu. He served as the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the constitutio ...
made him Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on ...
, or Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), which allows the recipients to use the title ''Tan Sri
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the southern Philippines.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and several provinces in Indonesia regul ...
''.[
]
Honours of Malaysia
* :
**
Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service
The Distinguished Order of Meritorious Service ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Jasa Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country.
It should not be confused with the Order of Merit
The Order of Merit (french: ...
(P.J.N.) - Datuk (2005)
**
Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on ...
(P.S.M.) - Tan Sri (2008)
References
External links
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
– official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakiam, Murphy Nicholas Xavier
Roman Catholic archbishops of Kuala Lumpur
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Malaysia
21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Malaysia
1938 births
Living people
De La Salle University alumni
Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Commanders of the Order of Meritorious Service
Malaysian people of Indian descent