Sebastian Francis, DSPN, is the 5th and current
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 ...
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the
Diocese of Penang
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang is situated in the northern region of Malaysia covering 5 states, namely Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan. It was created on 25 February 1955 together with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. It is und ...
. He is also currently president of the
. He was appointed as Bishop of Penang by the Vatican on 7 July 2012. The
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in
Green Lane,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
is the seat of Bishop Francis, and the cathedral for the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang.
Early life
Sebastian Francis was born on 11 November 1951 in
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru (), colloquially referred to as JB, is the capital city of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is located at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia,along the north bank of the Straits of Johor, opposite of the city-state Singapore. T ...
,
Johor which was then a part of the
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...
. From the year 1967 to 1970, he joined the St. Francis Xavier's Minor Seminary in
Singapore, before enrolling into
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 Ay ...
,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
from 1972 to 1976. He was ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Malacca-Johor
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...
on 28 July 1977.
From 1981 to 1983, Francis obtained a licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the
University of St. Thomas Aquinas in
Rome,
Italy. He also studied at the
Maryknoll School of Theology in
New York
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* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
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Film and television
* '' ...
,
United States where he obtained a degree in Justice and Peace in 1991. He has also served as a Spiritual Director and formator in College General from 1991 to 1998.
In the year 2003, Francis was appointed as
vicar general for the Diocese of Malacca-Johor, a position which he served until his appointment as the Bishop of Penang in 2012.
Appointment as Bishop
On 7 July 2012, the Vatican appointed Francis as the 5th Bishop of Penang. He succeeds Bishop Emeritus
Antony Selvanayagam, whose resignation was accepted by the Pope.
The episcopal consecration of Francis was held on 20 August 2012 at
St. Anne's Church in
Bukit Mertajam,
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
. His principal consecrator was the
Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Emeritus
Murphy Pakiam. His co-consecrators were Bishop Emeritus
Antony Selvanayagam, his predecessor and Bishop
Paul Tan Chee Ing from his former Diocese of Malacca-Johor. The event was witnessed by 10,000 Catholics and attended by the
Chief Minister of Penang,
Lim Guan Eng.
The motto of his episcopacy is "Fiat Voluntas Tua" ("Thy Will be Done" in English).
Honours
In 2016, the Penang State Governor,
Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang TYT Tun Dato Seri Utama Haji Abdul Rahman Haji Abbas conferred the ''Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN)'' award, which carries the title ''Datuk'' to Bishop Sebastian Francis.
See also
*
Diocese of Malacca-Johor
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...
*
Diocese of Penang
External links
Rt Rev Sebastian FrancisThe BishopDiocese of Penang
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Sebastian
1951 births
Living people
People from Johor
Malaysian people of Indian descent
21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Malaysia
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni
Maryknoll Seminary alumni