Tan Sri Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam (born 6 December 1938) was the third
metropolitan archbishop
Metropolitan may refer to:
Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical)
* Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop
** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see"
* Metropolitan ar ...
of the
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur (; Malay: ''Keuskupan Agung Kuala Lumpur''; Tamil: ''கோலாலம்பூர் மறைமாவட்டம்''; Mandarin: ''吉隆坡总教区'') is an ecclesiastical territory or dioce ...
, Malaysia, from 2003 to 2013. He is styled His Grace
The Most Reverend
The Most Reverend (abbreviated as The Most Revd or The Most Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. It is a variant of the mor ...
Archbishop
Tan Sri Datuk
Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay language, Malay honorific title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Use of the title various between loc ...
.
Pakiam was born in
Tapah
Tapah is a town and the capital of Batang Padang District, Perak, Malaysia.It is one of the two gateway towns to the renowned hill retreat of Cameron Highlands alongside Simpang Pulai, with the latter situated approximately to its north.
...
, Perak and was ordained into the priesthood on 10 May 1964. He was appointed metropolitan archbishop of
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
on 24 May 2003, and was installed five days later. Pakiam is the former president of the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei; 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 a government's executive, legislative, or administrative actions are subject to review by the judiciary. In a judicial review, a court may invalidate laws, acts, or governmental actions that are in ...
after ''The Herald'' was ordered to stop using the
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
word "
Allah
Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...
" 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 the
Eucharist
The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...
.
Background
Pakiam was born in
Tapah
Tapah is a town and the capital of Batang Padang District, Perak, Malaysia.It is one of the two gateway towns to the renowned hill retreat of Cameron Highlands alongside Simpang Pulai, with the latter situated approximately to its north.
...
, 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 does n ...
of
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
.
[ Educated at the Sultan Yusuf School in ]Batu Gajah
Batu Gajah (population 133,422) is the seat of Kinta District, Perak, Malaysia. It is administered by the Batu Gajah District Council (), formerly known as Kinta West District Council ().
Etymology
The name ''Batu Gajah'' in Malay means "e ...
, 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 Priesthood (Catholic Church), Catholic priests. They are generally ...
in 1955 and started his priestly formation at the College General
The College General () is a Catholic interdiocesan seminary located at Tanjong Bungah in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The college's foundation can be traced back to the 1665 establishment of the Seminary of Saint Joseph in Ayuthia which was ...
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. 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 ...
of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Silibin, Ipoh
Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...
from 1970 to 1972.[
Pakiam completed his studies for a ]master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate 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 prac ...
in moral theology (ethics) at the Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University (; ), also known as Lateranum, is a pontifical university based in Rome. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. The university ...
in Rome in 1974, and upon his return to Malaysia became a lecturer at Penang's College General. In 1978, he was appointed Rector 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 (), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private, Catholic coeducational research university run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools with main campus in Taft Avenue, Malate, Man ...
, Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, Philippines. He then served as parish priest of the Church of the Nativity in Butterworth from 1989 to 95.[
He was appointed as the ]auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
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
Epirus () is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë and the Acroceraunian Mountains i ...
[ 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 Churches ...
was Archbishop Anthony Fernandez and principal co-consecrators were Bishops James Chan Soon Cheong and Anthony Selvanayagam.[ He was the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
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 Catholic Church who has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur since 2014. He also serves as president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Mal ...
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
The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...
, 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 or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, the i ...
.[ 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 , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...
, 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 alphabet, Jawi: اوتوسن مليسيا; English language, English: ''The Malaysian Tribune'' or simply ''Utusan'') is a Malaysian Malay language daily newspaper headquartered outside Kuala Lumpur. Formerly owned by th ...
Group, sent its reporters including one Muhd Ridwan Abdul Jalil, to two churches in the Klang Valley
Klang Valley () is an urban agglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and including their adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is the urban area of the much larger Ku ...
, 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.
Overview
Many consider acts of desecration t ...
.[
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 King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail (Jawi script, Jawi: توانكو سيد سراج الدين ابن المرحوم توانكو سيد ڤوترا جمل الليل; born 17 May 1943) is the current Raja of Pe ...
, 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 language, Malay honorific title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Use of the title various between loc ...
".[ In 2008, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin made him Commander of the ]Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia () is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on 15 April 1966 and gazetted on 30 June 1966 ...
, or Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), which allows the recipients to use the title '' Tan Sri''.[
]
Honours of Malaysia
* :
**
Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (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 () is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on 15 April 1966 and gazetted on 30 June 1966 ...
(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