Page 154 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

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Cardinal is in the second position in the Christianity There was an established Mission of Siam (also called
religious hierarchy, after the Pope. His responsibilities include being the Apostolic Vicariate of the Roman Catholic Church in Siam) in
the counselor in the administration of all international churches. In Thailand since 1669. The position of “Bishop” was called “Patriarch”
the early days, a layman could be in the position of Cardinal, but back then, because of familiarity of Thai people since Ayutthaya
since the Church passed the law of 1917 and 1983, it changed so period. In the beginning all the leaders of the Mission of Siam came
that only the priests and patriarches are allowed to be appointed from abroad. The first Thai Bishop was Jacob Chang Kerdsawang, the
to the rank of the Cardinal. Cardinal's primary duty is electing the Bishop of Chantaburi being appointed on May 11, 1944. Since year
new Pope when the see becomes vacant. Cardinal is also eligible 1669, the first Bishop of Mission of Siam was Louis Laneau, being
to be elected to the position of Pope, and may or may not be in the appointed as the patriarch on March 25, 1674. The administrative
administrative position of Bishop. structure of the Mission of Siam remained the same until 1965 when it was
The first Thai Cardinal was Michael Mechai adjusted by dividing the lines of command into two Ecclesiastical
Kitbunchu, Archbishop of Bangkok. He was appointed on January Provinces: The Ecclesiastical Province of Bangkok, and the
5, 1983; and the official ceremony of the designation was on Ecclesiastical Province of Thare-Nonseng. Thus, both Bangkok
February 2, 1983 at the Saint Peter's Basilica, in the State of and Thare-Nonseng has moved to the higher level of Archdiocese
the Vatican City, Rome. At present, the second Thai Cardinal is Metropolitan -- each of which headed by an archbishop, and under
Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij, Archbishop of Bangkok each of the two Archdioceses, there are Suffragan Dioceses. (Today,
(Thailand). He was appointed on January 4, 2014, and was officially the church in Thailand is administrated by 10 dioceses, including
designated on the 14 of February of the same year. the two archdioceses.)
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The present Pope is Pope Francis, whose original Today, the Roman Catholic Church in Thailand is
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name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He is the 266 Pope, after St. Peter. governed by the "Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Thailand (CBCT).
He has been in the position since March 13, 2013, and is the first There are 10 Bishop of each diocese, and 369,636 Christians in
Pope from Latin America. He is of Argentinian nationality and is Thailand. (According to the survey of all Christianity denominations.)
the first Pope who is not European in over 1,300 years.

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