Diocese of Penang
Pinangen(sis)
Suffragan diocese · Latin Church · Penang, Malaysia
The Diocese of Penang is a Latin Catholic suffragan see of Kuala Lumpur covering five states in northern and east-coast Peninsular Malaysia. Erected in 1955, it has been led since 2012 by Sebastian Francis, who was created a cardinal in 2023 while remaining the diocesan bishop.
The see
- Rank
- Suffragan diocese
- Tradition
- Latin Church
- Erected
- 25 February 1955
- Latin
- Pinangen(sis)
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Annuario code
- 001002572
The see in figures
- Catholics
- 65,355
- Population
- 5,740,000
- Catholic shareof the people living within its bounds
- 1.1%
- Priests
- 45
- Catholics per priest
- 1,452
- Extent
- 46,855 km²
- Catholics per km²
- 1.4
Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.
The bishop
- Bishop
- Sebastian Francis
- Born
- 11 November 1951
- Birthplace
- Johor Bahru
A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.
The cathedral
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Penang stands in Penang, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.
On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.
The province of Kuala Lumpur
A suffragan of Kuala Lumpur.
The sees of this province:
- Archdiocese of Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
- Diocese of Melaka–JohorMelaka–Johor
On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.
History
Created on 25 February 1955 alongside the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, the Diocese of Penang (Latin: Dioecesis Pinangensis; Malay: Keuskupan Pulau Pinang; Tamil: பினாங்கு மறைமாவட்டம்; Mandarin: 天主教檳城教區) stretches across the north and part of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Its care covers four northern states, Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak, together with Kelantan on the east coast, and it sits within the ecclesiastical province of Kuala Lumpur.
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The see's own website · Wikipedia
Compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. Corrections: hello@catholicintelligence.com.