New Brunei cardinal runs diocese with only three priests

Jun 05, 2021

BRUNEI: The new cardinal from  Brunei administers arguably the  world’s smallest diocese in terms of  its priests — just three.

The three priests and Bishop Cornelius Sim, the apostolic vicar of  Brunei, take care of Catholics in one  of the few absolute Muslim monarchies left in the world.

“We are one of the smallest dioceses in Asia,” said Bishop Sim, days  before Pope Francis named him one  of 13 new cardinals on Oct 25.

“We hope to have vocations to  the priesthood and religious life” as  part of the diocese’s growth, which  has some 21,000 Catholics, mostly  migrants.

Many in the Catholic Church see  the selection of Bishop Sim to the  College of Cardinals as part of Pope  Francis’ thrust to “go to the peripheries” to recognise that all communities, however small, are important in  the life of the Church.

One of the richest nations in the  world, Brunei also has one of the  smallest populations in Asia — just  429,000 people. Malay is the official  language but English and Chinese  are both widely spoken.

Some two-thirds of Brunei’s people are Muslims, ruled by Sultan  Hassanal Bolkiah. The country follows Syariah law that is applicable  only to Muslims.

Some 10 per cent of the people  are atheists, 13 per cent are Buddhist  and a small number have indigenous  beliefs. Christians form some 10 per  cent of the population, and half of  them are Catholics. — ucanews.com