SINGAPORE: Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia, the third leader of the Catholic Church in Singapore, died on Tuesday (Dec 17) at the age of 86.
In a Facebook post, his successor Cardinal William Goh said that Archbishop Chia died peacefully on Tuesday evening at St Theresa’s Home.
“Arrangements for the public to pay respects and for the funeral proceedings will be announced when these are ready,” said the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
It had informed people hours earlier that Archbishop Chia was “critically ill”.
In a tribute, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Archbishop Chia was “a devoted shepherd and steadfast pillar of the Catholic community”.
“His unwavering faith, humility, and compassion enriched many lives,” Mr Wong said.
Archbishop Chia led the Catholic Church in Singapore for almost 12 years before being succeeded by Cardinal Goh on May 18, 2013.
He was the first Singapore-born clergyman to be appointed archbishop and gained a reputation for being “a people’s priest”.
Born on Apr 8, 1938, to a Catholic family, he studied at Holy Innocents’ English School and was ordained as a priest in 1964.
Archbishop Chia began his ministry as assistant parish priest at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, preaching in English and Teochew. He went to Kuala Lumpur to study Mandarin in 1966, before returning to serve in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.
Archbishop Chia later went to the Gregorian University in Rome to study in 1969. Back in Singapore, he set up the Singapore Pastoral Institute, serving as its director from 1978 to 1990.
In 1995, he became the chancellor and procurator of the Archdiocese, handling its clergy and financial and business affairs.
Archbishop Chia succeeded archbishop Gregory Yong on Oct 7, 2001, in a ceremony at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
In 2014, Archbishop Chia suffered a fall that left him in a coma. After completing rehabilitation, he was transferred to St Theresa’s Home to continue his recovery.
