VATICAN (RVA News): On October 4, Pope Francis appointed Stephen Cardinal Chow, SJ, bishop of Hong Kong, to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and Sebastian Cardinal Francis, bishop of Penang, Malaysia, to Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
On 17 May 2021, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Chow the bishop of the Hong Kong and elevated him to the College of Cardinals on September 30.
Cardinal Francis was born on 11 November1951, in Johor Bahru. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Malacca-Johor on 28 July 1977. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Penang on 7 July 2012. He has been president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei since 2017. He was also created a cardinal on September 30.
The goal of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, which evolved from the Secretariat for Non-Christians, set up in 1964 by Pope St. Paul VI, is to promote respect, mutual understanding, and collaboration between Catholics and the followers of others religious traditions.
Meanwhile, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, whch was set up under Pope Francis, is committed to fostering among peoples: sensitivity for peace, commitment to justice and solidarity with those who are most vulnerable such as migrants and refugees, particularly through the celebrations of the World Day of Peace, the World Day of Migrants, the World Day of the Sick.
