Kriengsak Kovitvanit

His Eminence Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanij
Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Bangkok
Kovitvanij as cardinal
Native name	ฟรังซิสเซเวียร์ เกรียงศักดิ์ โกวิทวาณิช
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Bangkok
See	Bangkok
Appointed	14 May 2009
Installed	16 August 2009
Term ended	27 June 2024
Predecessor	Michael Michai Kitbunchu
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Addolorata
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Nakhon Sawan (2007–2009)
Orders
Ordination	11 July 1976 by Michael Michai Kitbunchu
Consecration	2 June 2007 by Michael Michai Kitbunchu
Created cardinal	14 February 2015 by Pope Francis
Personal details
Born	Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij (1949-06-27) 27 June 1949 Bang Rak, Bangkok, Thailand
Nationality	Thai
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Parents	Joseph Piti Kovitvanij Teresa Phatcharin Kovitvanij
Motto	Verbum crucis Dei virtus est (The word of the cross is strong) (คำสอนเรื่องกางเขนเป็นอานุภาพของพระเจ้า) (Phra khả h̄æ̀ng mị̂kāngk̄hen khụ̄x khwām k̄hæ̆ngkær̀ng)
Coat of arms

Ordination history of Kriengsak Kovitvanit
History Priestly ordination Date 11 July 1976 Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Michael Michai Kitbunchu Co-consecrators Salvatore Pennacchio Joseph Banchong Aribarg Date 2 June 2007 Cardinalate Elevated by Pope Francis Date 14 February 2015

Styles of Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal

Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanij (Thai: ฟรังซิสเซเวียร์ เกรียงศักดิ์ โกวิทวาณิช, RTGS: Kriangsak Kowitwanit, pronounced [krīa̯ŋ.sàk kōː.wít.wāː.nít]; born 27 June 1949) is a Thai Catholic prelate and cardinal who served as Archbishop of Bangkok from 2009 to 2024.

Biography

Kriengsak Kovitvanij was born on 27 June 1949 in Bangkok to ethnic Chinese parents. He entered the St Joseph's Minor Seminary in Sam Phran. From 1970 to 1976 he studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, and was ordained as priest on 11 July 1976. He was first assigned to be assistant priest at the Nativity of Mary Church in Ban Pan, and then at the Epiphany Church Koh Yai (1977–1979). In 1979–1981 he served as vice-rector of St Joseph's Minor Seminary in Sam Phran. He went to the Gregorian University in Rome from 1982 till 1983 to specialize in spirituality.

From 1983 to 1989 he was rector of the Holy Family Intermediate Seminary in Nakhon Ratchasima, and then till 1993 under-secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand, as well as rector of Lux Mundi National Major Seminary in Sam Phran since 1992. In 2000 he became parish priest at the church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hua Take, and also since 2001 a special lecturer at Sam Phran major seminary. From 2003 until his appointment as bishop, he was parish priest of the Assumption Cathedral and secretary of the council of priests of the Archdiocese of Bangkok.

On 7 March 2007 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Nakhon Sawan, which had been vacant since 2005, when his predecessor Louis Chamniern Santisukniram was made Archbishop of Thare and Nonseng. He was consecrated on 2 June by Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu, whose successor as Archbishop of Bangkok he became on 14 May 2009. Kovitvanit was installed on 16 August 2009.

On 4 January 2015 it was announced that Pope Francis had appointed him a cardinal. He was made a cardinal on 14 February and at that ceremony, he was appointed Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Addolorata.

In April 2015 he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop of Bangkok on 27 June 2024—the archbishop's 75th birthday.

External links

• "Kovithavanij Card. Francis Xavier Kriengsak". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
• Archdiocese of Bangkok on Kriengsak Kovitvanit (Thai)