CLS Press Statement: CLS Welcomes New Archbishop Of Kuala Lumpur

The Catholic Lawyers’ Society, Kuala Lumpur congratulates and welcomes our new Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Elect Most Rev. Julian Leow Beng Kim.

On 3 July, 2014 Pope Francis appointed Father Julian Leow Beng Kim, 50,  as the new archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.

His Excellency, Archbishop Joseph Marino, the Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia made the announcement at the archbishop’s residence in Kuala Lumpur.

Father Leow is the first Chinese Malaysian to be appointed to lead the archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur and the fourth Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. He succeeds Archbishop Murphy Pakiam who resigned on 13 December 2013 upon attaining the retirement age of 75.

Fr Julian Leow was born in Seremban on 3 January 1964. He completed his elementary and secondary school studies in St Paul’s Mission School. He then went to New South Wales University in Australia where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Building. After university, he worked as site coordinator of different constructions in Sydney, Singapore, Johor and Kuala Lumpur for six years before going on to study for the priesthood at the College General Major Seminary in Penang.

Fr Julian Leow was ordained a priest on 20 April 2002. He served as assistant priest at Visitation Parish in Seremban. Two years later, he went to Taiwan for six months to study Mandarin. At the end of that year, he was assigned as parish priest of Holy Family parish in Kajang until 2007.

Fr. Julian was sent to Rome to study Church history at the Pontifical Gregorian University and obtained a Degree in Church History. On his return in 2010, he was appointed Dean of Studies at the College General Major Seminary in Penang.

Fr.. Julian will be ordained archbishop on 6 October 2014.