The mother church is the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in
Johor Bahru, Johor(e); there is also a former cathedral, now Church of St. Peter, in Melaka.
History
Established on 4 February 1558 as the Diocese of Malacca[1][2] on territory split off from the then
Diocese of Goa, within the Portuguese colonial empire.
1838: Suppressed, its territory being joined with Siam
Restored on 10 September 1841, albeit again with pre-diocesan status and exempt, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Siam, on territory split off from the then
Apostolic Vicariate of Siam,[4] with its cathedral located in Singapore
Promoted on 19 August 1888 as the
[1]Diocese of Malacca[1][2]
Promoted on 19 September 1953 as (non-metropolitan) Archdiocese of Malacca
On 18 December 1972, the diocese was renamed as the Diocese of Malacca-Johor, when the Archdiocese of Malacca-Singapore was split into the
Archdiocese of Singapore and this diocese. Rt. Rev James Chan was appointed as the first Bishop.
On 13 February 2003, Rt. Rev Paul Tan Chee Ing, SJ was appointed as the second Bishop of the Melaka-Johor Diocese.
On 19 November 2015, the Vatican appointed Rt. Rev Anthony Bernard Paul as the third Bishop of this Diocese.[5]
Ordinaries
Suffragan bishops of the (First) Diocese of Malacca
Jorge de Santa Luzia (1558–1576)
João Ribeiro Gaio (1589 – death 1601)
Gonçalvo (Gonzalo) da Silva (1613–1632), later Bishop of
Ceuta (Spain) (1632.09.06 – 1645) and
Apostolic Prefect of
Marocco (Morocco) (1632.09.06 – death 1649.02.16)
Gregório dos Anjos (? – 1677.08.30 not possessed), later Bishop of
São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil) (1677.08.30 – death 1689.05.11)
Antonio a S. Theresia (1691-?)
Emmanuel a S. Antonio (1701–1738)
Antonius de Castro (3 Sep 1738 – death 9 Aug 1743)
Miguel de Bulhões e Souza (28 Mar 1746 – 8 Dec 1747), later
Coadjutor Bishop of
Belém do Pará (Brazil) (8 Dec 1747 – 18 May 1748), succeeding as Bishop of Belém do Pará (18 May 1748 – 24 Mar 1760), finally Bishop of
Leiria (Portugal) (24 Mar 1760 – death 14 Sep 1779)
Gerardus a S. Joseph (19 Feb 1748 – death 1760.01)
Alexandre da Sagrada Familia Ferreira da Silva (16 Dec 1782 – 14 Feb 1785), later Bishop of
São Paulo de Loanda (Angola) (14 Feb 1785 – 23 Nov 1787), Bishop of
Angra (Portugal) (18 Dec 1815 – death 23 Apr 1818)
Francisco de São Damazo Abreu Vieira (29 Oct 1804 – 15 Mar 1815), later Metropolitan Archbishop of
São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (15 Mar 1815 – 18 Nov 1816)
Jean-Baptiste Boucho (3 Jun 1845 – 6 Mar 1871), Titular Bishop of
Attalia (10 Jun 1845 – 6 Mar 1871)
Michel-Esther Le Turdu (6 Mar 1871 – death 10 May 1877), Titular Bishop of
Corycus (23 Jan 1871 – 10 May 1877), succeeding as former
Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Western Siam (23 Jan 1871 – 6 Mar 1871)
Edouard Gasnier (28 Mar 1878 – 19 Aug 1888 see below), Titular Bishop of
Eucarpia (28 Mar 1878 – 19 Aug 1888)
Suffragan Bishops of the (Second) Diocese of Malacca
Michel Olçomendy (see above 19 Sep 1953 – 25 Feb 1955 see below)
Metropolitan Archbishop of Malacca-Singapore
Michel Olçomendy (see above 25 Feb 1955 – 18 Dec 1972), also President of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (1964–1969); later Archbishop of
Singapore (Singapore) (18 Dec 1972 – 1976)
Paul Tan Chee Ing (13 Feb 2003 – retired 19 Nov 2015), also President of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (1 Jan 2011 – 2012.08)