Michael Michai Kitbunchu
Roman Catholic | |
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| Parents |
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| Motto | Through the Cross to light (Per crucem ad lucem) |
| Coat of arms |  |
Michael Michai Kitbunchu (
Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Bangkok from 1973 to 2009 and was made a cardinal in 1983. He has been the Protopriest of the College of Cardinals
since 14 December 2016. He is the first cardinal from Thailand. He was president of the Thai Episcopal Conference from 1979 to 1982 and from 2000 to 2006.
Early life and ministry
Kitbunchu was born in
Grégoire-Pierre Agagianian
on 20 December 1959.
He returned to
of Bangkok from 1965 to 1972.Episcopal career
On 18 December 1972,
Episcopal Conference from 1979 to 1982, and again from 2000 to 2006.[2]
funeral Masses to drug traffickers, saying that such people "destroy society" and engage in "acts of indirect murder."[3] He once expressed his opposition to abortion by saying, "Abortion is a great crime, because the one who should protect the child in her womb becomes the one who destroys the child."[4]
During the 2006 political crisis in his Thailand, Kitbunchu called for unity, saying, "All Thai people are patriotic and want the country to progress and develop on all fields, but now the political crisis has disturbed and worried the people." He also asked Thais to "correct what is wrong and forgive each other."[5]
Kitbunchu resigned from his position as Archbishop of Bangkok on 14 May 2009. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest active head of an
Teochew, he can also speak other languages such as Latin, English, Italian, French and Standard Mandarin.[2]
References
- ^ "Bangkok's Chinese-Thai Catholics want Chinese Mass". Spero News. 5 May 2006. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d "KITBUNCHU Card. Michael Michai". Holy See.
- ^ "Cardinal Tells Priests to Deny Funerals to Drug Traffickers". UCA News. 9 May 2003.
- ^ "Michai Kitbunchu, first cardinal from Thailand". Asia News. 14 April 2005.
- ^ "Five Religious Leaders Call For Unity in Time of Political Chaos". UCA News. 24 March 2006.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Michael Michai Kitbunchu.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Michai Kitbunchu.
- "Kitbunchu Card. Michael Michai". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
