KUALA LUMPUR (Fides): Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim of Kuala Lumpur, president of the Episcopal Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, urges the Catholic community in Malaysia “to embark on a path of renewal, mission, and prophetic acts, and to recognise the signs of the times, otherwise it risks being like an empty gong.”
After his ad limina visit to the Vatican, he reflected on the Church’s journey of renewal ahead of September’s National Pastoral Assembly in Sarawak, which will gather Malaysia’s diverse Catholic representatives.
Despite operating “within rather strict political, legal and social boundaries” in a Muslim-majority nation, the Church is “dynamic and continues to grow,” with 600–700 adult baptisms annually in Kuala Lumpur and thousands across the region.
Migrants and refugees, including those from Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, and the Middle East, also enrich the Church’s life.
Secularism, religious indifference, and misinformation present challenges, but interreligious dialogue remains central. “When we speak with one voice, the government listens,” Leow notes, highlighting collaboration with Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Taoists.
Vocations show signs of promise but are threatened by a decline in religious life and changing Catholic schools. The upcoming Pastoral Assembly will prioritise young people, as the Archbishop warns the Church “risks losing its future if it does not accompany young people through the challenges of our time.”
He hopes the Church will remain “a beacon of light for the entire nation” and expresses a wish to welcome Pope Leo XIV to Malaysia, recognising the Pope’s esteem “even among Muslims.”
