Bishop Cornelius Sim of the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam
By Herald / Vatican.va
Oct 26 2020
VATICAN – Pope Francis announced he will create 13 new cardinals Nov 28, including Bishop Cornelius Sim of the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam. Brunei is one of the richest and smallest countries in the world.
The Vicariate is part of the Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei.
Cardinal-designate Cornelius is the first cardinal-designate from Brunei and also the first Cardinal-designate from the Island of Borneo. He heads an Apostolic Vicariate of 21,000 Catholics and has four priests (including himself) to shepherd the faithful of three parish churches.
Bishop Sim was born in Seria (Brunei) on 16 September 1951. He pursued a degree in engineering at Dundee University in Scotland followed by a Masters in theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, USA. He was ordained a priest on 26 November 1989. After exercising the priestly ministry in various parishes, he was appointed Vicar General of Brunei in 1995 and subsequently Apostolic Prefect on 21 November 1997. On 20 October 2004, St John Paul II elevated the territory to an Apostolic Vicariate and appointed him its first Apostolic Vicar.
Pope Francis’s announcement came as a surprise, after the recitation of the Angelus of Sunday, 25 October. He communicated the news regarding the creation of the new cardinals to the faithful present in St Peter’s Square as well as to those connected throughout the world. The Church will have thirteen new Cardinals. Nine of them are younger than 80 and therefore, have the right to participate in a future conclave. Four others are older than 80 years of age. – Herald Malaysia / Vatican.va
