Holy See–Malaysia relations

History

Pope Leo XIII had an audience with Sultan Abu Bakar and his brother Ungku Muhammad Khalid of precedent entity Johor on 24 April 1885; the sultan had arranged privately through Cardinal Edward Henry Howard, who had experience with contact of Prince Prisdang who arrived a year before as a private function on behalf of Chulalongkorn king of Siam. Abu Bakar's secretary Abdul Rahman Andak among the sultan's entourage personally anecdoted later in 1894 that the Malay Peninsula did appear marked on one of the Vatican's gallery maps prior because of Abu Bakar's correspondence with Apostolic Vicar Edouard Gasnier in his Singapore office.

In 2002, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad visited the Vatican to meet Pope John Paul II. During the second visit of the next Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak and Pope Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, an agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Malaysia was finalised. Malaysia became the 179th state to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

The Holy See previously had an apostolic delegation, based in Bangkok, for the country. Pending the appointment of the first Nuncio to Malaysia, the papal representative in Bangkok continued to act as Apostolic Delegate for Malaysia, accredited to the Catholic Church in the country but not to the Government. In January 2013, Archbishop Joseph Marino was appointed as the first nuncio to Malaysia.

In 2016, Malaysia appointed Bernard Giluk Dompok as the first resident ambassador to the Holy See. In 2017, the Holy See opens its official chancery in Kuala Lumpur.

References

References

1. "Rinunce e Nomine, 29.09.2020". Holy See Press Office.
2. (24 February 2023). "Malaysia’s new Vatican envoy to promote interfaith dialogue". Union of Catholic Asian News.
3. (2000). "Sultan Abu Bakar of Johore's Visit to the Italian King and the Pope in 1885". Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
4. (8 June 2002). "Dr Mahathir in historic meeting with the Pope". [[Utusan Malaysia]].
5. (18 July 2011). "Comunicato della Sala Stampa della Santa Sede: Udienza al Primo Ministro della Malaysia". [[Holy See Press Office]].
6. T. Selva. (18 July 2011). "Najib: Malaysia to establish diplomatic ties with The Vatican". [[The Star (Malaysia).
7. (18 July 2011). "Malaysia establishes diplomatic ties with Vatican". [[BBC News]].
8. (24 November 2017). "Archbishop G. Angelo Becciu inaugurates new Nunciature in Malaysia". [[Vatican Radio]].
9. (10 June 2015). "Pope receives first Resident Malaysian Ambassador to the Holy See". [[The Herald (Malaysian Catholic Weekly).
10. (20 November 2011). "Papal delegate positive about M'sia-Vatican ties". The Catholic News, Archdiocese of Singapore.
11. Greg Garrison. (16 January 2013). "Pope appoints Birmingham native Archbishop Joseph Marino to Malaysia". Alabama Media Group.
12. Linda Bordoni. (9 June 2016). "Pope receives first Resident Malaysian Ambassador to the Holy See". Vatican Radio.
13. Natasha Joibi. (24 November 2017). "Vatican opens official chancery in Kuala Lumpur". The Star.