Malaysia’s first and only cardinal, Anthony Soter Fernandez, died this afternoon. He was 88.
The Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur announced that the archbishop emeritus of Kuala Lumpur passed away at the Little Sisters of the Poor St Francis Xavier Home for the Elderly in Cheras at 12.35pm.
Fernandez was diagnosed with tongue cancer in November last year and had undergone immunotherapy and radiotherapy.
The Chancery will be issuing an official obituary and announce the details of the wake and funeral in due course.
Fernandez was the first Malaysian to be made a cardinal, appointed by Pope Francis on November 19, 2016.
He became the Archdiocese’s second Archbishop upon his appointment on July 30, 1983 by Pope John Paul II and was installed on Nov 10, 1983.
He retired in May 2003 and was succeeded by The Most Reverend Tan Sri Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam.
Fernandez also served as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei from 1987 to 1990 and 2000 to 2003.
He was ordained a priest on December 10, 1966.