ARCHBISHOP William Goh, 65, of Singapore became the first archbishop-head from Singapore to be named a cardinal by Pope Francis and the third from the Conference of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei. It is not only an honour for the city-church but also for the state of Singapore and the Conference. He is among the 21 new cardinals named on Sunday in Rome.
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei (CBCMSB), Bishop Sebastian Francis of Penang, offered his felicitations and fraternal support from all the bishops and churches in the region.
The gesture of Pope Francis is seen as affirming the vision for the church to be present to all the extremities of the world. “Archbishop William will be able to carry the voices of the people from the region to the universal church,” he said, “and in turn to bring the concerns and affections of the Holy Father and the universal church to all the people of God here.”
In the pontificate of Pope Francis, many new cardinals come from far-flung, often overlooked dioceses where Catholics are a distinct minority. The state of Singapore has about 373,000 Catholics.
Archbishop Goh, was born in 1957. He is the 4th Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
He attended Montfort Secondary, where he received his high school diploma.
He entered the seminary in 1979 and began his theological studies in Philosophy at the Major Seminary at Penang (College General), and Theology at the Major Seminary of Singapore.
On 1 May 1985, he was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Singapore. He was Assistant Parish Priest in the Church of the Holy Cross from 1985 – 1989. He then went on to complete his Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology in the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome in 1992.
Upon his return, he was appointed as Formator and Lecturer at the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary (SFXMS) from 1992-2005. In 2005, he was made Rector of SFXMS and Spiritual Director of the Catholic Spirituality Centre until he took office as Archbishop.
He was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop on 29.12.2012, ordained Coadjutor Archbishop on 22.02.2013 and appointed Archbishop of Singapore on 18.05.2013.
On 29.05.2022, Pope Francis announced that Archbishop William Goh is one of the 21 new Cardinals at a Consistory to be convened in the Vatican on Saturday, 27 August 2022.
The motto of Archbishop “Ut Vivant” in Latin means “That they may live”. It is taken from John 10:10-11, exemplifying the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His flock.
The College of cardinals of which Archbishop Goh will be a member, not only votes on who becomes the next Pope, but are also seen as the closest collaborators of the Pope. The College of cardinals currently consists of 208 cardinals, of whom 117 are electors and 91 non-electors. As of 27 August, the number will grow to 229 cardinals, of whom 131 will be electors. The College from all continents, makes real and visible the universal face of the church.
Charles Bertille
Exec Sec, CBCMSB
+6017-3671537
