Paul Tan Chee Ing
Encyclopedia
Rt. Rev.
Monsignor
Paul Tan Chee Ing, (April 5, 1940 –) S.J.
, D.D.
, S.T.L.
is second and current Roman Catholic Bishop
of Diocese of Malacca-Johor. He is also the current president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
.
at Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy
in Dublin, Ireland.
in France. His doctoral dissertation on the thoughts of Mao Zedong, founder of China's communist party, was submitted in French and earned him a doctorate cum laude.
Bishop Tan was also a founder of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism in the early 1980s. Today, the council consults with the government, and vice-versa, on laws, policies and other matters affecting non-Muslims.
He has also been active in ecumenism, having served as assistant secretary and later as executive committee member of the Christian Federation of Malaysia until he went to Rome
1992. In Rome
, he served as the Jesuit superior general's regional assistant for East Asia and Oceania.
Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Malacaa-Johor on Feb. 13, 2003. His episcopal ordination was on May 15, 2003. In January 2011 he became the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
.
Bishop Tan is fluent in English, French, Italian, Malay and Mandarin, as well as other Chinese dialects.
Right Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Paul Tan Chee Ing, (April 5, 1940 –) S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, S.T.L.
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
is second and current Roman Catholic Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Diocese of Malacca-Johor. He is also the current president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei...
.
Early life
Tan was born on April 5, 1940, in Muar, Johor state of migrants from Fujian province, China. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Hong Kong in 1959, and furthered his studies in the Philippines and Taiwan before obtaining a Licentiate in Theology (STL)Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
at Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy
Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy
The Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy is an institution of higher education and research, located in Dublin, Ireland. Milltown is run by the Jesuits and is located in Milltown/Ranelagh in Dublin...
in Dublin, Ireland.
Education
In 1971, he was ordained a priest and began doctoral studies at Institut Catholique de ParisInstitut Catholique de Paris
The Institut Catholique de Paris, or the Catholic University of Paris, is a private university located in Paris, France. The institute was founded in 1875, under the name Université Catholique de Paris, by Maurice Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst....
in France. His doctoral dissertation on the thoughts of Mao Zedong, founder of China's communist party, was submitted in French and earned him a doctorate cum laude.
Religious work
After his studies, he went to Colombia in Latin America for a final year of Jesuit formation. Back in Malaysia, he helped establish the Catholic Research Centre in Malaysia in 1977 to help keep Catholics informed about Church teachings on ethics and social issues, as well as on political, social and economic developments in Malaysia.Bishop Tan was also a founder of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism in the early 1980s. Today, the council consults with the government, and vice-versa, on laws, policies and other matters affecting non-Muslims.
He has also been active in ecumenism, having served as assistant secretary and later as executive committee member of the Christian Federation of Malaysia until he went to Rome
Diocese of Rome
The Diocese of Rome is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. The bishop of Rome is the Pope, who is the Supreme Pontiff and leader of the Catholic Church...
1992. In Rome
Diocese of Rome
The Diocese of Rome is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. The bishop of Rome is the Pope, who is the Supreme Pontiff and leader of the Catholic Church...
, he served as the Jesuit superior general's regional assistant for East Asia and Oceania.
Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Malacaa-Johor on Feb. 13, 2003. His episcopal ordination was on May 15, 2003. In January 2011 he became the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei...
.
Bishop Tan is fluent in English, French, Italian, Malay and Mandarin, as well as other Chinese dialects.