Julian Leow Beng Kim
Quick Facts
Biography
Most Rev. Julian Leow Beng Kim, C.H.L (Gregoriana); C.H.B (Gregoriana); B. Th (Urbanianum), B. Build (UNSW, Aust), (born 3 January 1964) is a Malaysian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was named the fourth metropolitan Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur on 3 July 2014, the Feast of St Thomas by Pope Francis. He is fully styled as His Grace or The Most Reverend Julian Leow, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. St. John's Cathedral in Kuala Lumpur is the seat of Archbishop Leow, and the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.
Early life
Archbishop Leow was born on 3 January 1964, in Seremban. He obtained a Bachelor of Building from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia in the year 1989. He then studied at College General, Penang from 1994 to 2001. He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur on 20 April 2002, by Most Rev Anthony Soter Fernandez.
Archbishop Leow has also obtained a Licentiate in Church History from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He also served as the Dean of Studies and formator at College General, Penang from the year 2010 until his appointment as the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.
Appointment as Archbishop
On 3 July 2014, the Vatican appointed Most Reverend Julian Leow Beng Kim as the 4th Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur. He succeeds Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam, whose resignation was accepted by the Pope on 13 December 2013 upon the reaching the age limit of 75 according to the Canon Law.
Archbishop Leow was consecrated and installed Archbishop on 6 October 2014, in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia, Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino at the Church of the Holy Family in Kajang, Selangor. Some 12,000 came from around the country to witness the consecration. His principal consecrator was the Archbishop of Kuching, Most Rev. John Ha Tiong Hock. His co-consecrators were Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam and Archbishop Emeritus Anthony Soter Fernandez.
Coat of arms
The motto for Archbishop Leow's episcopacy is "Integrity and Tenderness".