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|---|---|
| Cardinal,Archbishop Emeritus of Bangkok | |
 Cardinal Kitbunchu in 2023 | |
| See | Bangkok |
| Appointed | 18 December 1972 |
| Installed | 3 June 1973 |
| Term ended | 14 May 2009 |
| Predecessor | Joseph Khiamsun Nittayo |
| Successor | Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij |
| Other posts |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | 20 December 1959 by Gregorio Pietro Agagianian |
| Consecration | 3 June 1973 by Joseph Khiamsun Nittayo |
| Created cardinal | 2 February 1983 byPope John Paul II |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1929-01-25)25 January 1929 (age 97) Sam Phran,Nakhon Pathom, Siam |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Parents |
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| Motto | Through the Cross to light (Per crucem ad lucem) |
| Coat of arms |  |
Michael Michai Kitbunchu (Thai:ไมเกิ้ล มีชัย กิจบุญชู,pronounced[māj.kɤ̂lmīː.t͡ɕʰājkìt.būn.t͡ɕʰūː,māj.kɤ̂ɫ-,māj.kɤ̂n-]; born 25 January 1929) is a Thai prelate of theCatholic Church. He served as Archbishop ofBangkok from 1973 to 2009 and was made acardinal in 1983. He has been theProtopriest of theCollege of Cardinals since 14 December 2016. He is the first cardinal from Thailand. He was president of the Thai Episcopal Conference from 1979 to 1982 and from 2000 to 2006. As of 2025, Kitbunchu is the longest serving cardinal.
Kitbunchu was born inSam Phran, a district of theNakhon Pathom Province, to parents ofethnic Chinese descent and studied at theminor seminary ofSi Racha.[1] He then furthered his studies at thePontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, where he obtained alicentiate in both philosophy andtheology.[2] While in Rome, he wasordained to the priesthood by CardinalGrégoire-Pierre Agagianian on 20 December 1959.
He returned toThailand and served asassistant pastor and then pastor in Bang Kham, and later became pastor of Calvary Parish inBangkok.[2] He was also anarchdiocesanconsultor and served asrector of the metropolitanseminary of Bangkok from 1965 to 1972.
On 18 December 1972,Pope Paul VI appointed Kitbunchu the second Archbishop ofBangkok. He received hisepiscopal consecration on 3 June 1973 from Archbishop Joseph Khiamsun Nittayo, with Bishops Lawrence Thienchai Samanchit and Michel-Auguste–Marie Langer,MEP, serving asco-consecrators. He served as President of the ThaiEpiscopal Conference from 1979 to 1982, and again from 2000 to 2006.[2]
Pope John Paul II created himCardinal-Priest ofSan Lorenzo in Panisperna in theconsistory of 2 February 1983; he was the first cardinal from Thailand.[citation needed] Kitbunchu was one of thecardinal electors who participated in the2005 papal conclave that selectedPope Benedict XVI. He deniedfuneral Masses to drug traffickers, saying that such people "destroy society" and engage in "acts of indirect murder."[3] He once expressed hisopposition to abortion by saying, "Abortion is a great crime, because the one who should protect the child in her womb becomes the one who destroys the child."[4]
During the2006 political crisis in his Thailand, Kitbunchu called for unity, saying, "All Thai people are patriotic and want the country to progress and develop on all fields, but now the political crisis has disturbed and worried the people." He also asked Thais to "correct what is wrong and forgive each other."[5]
Kitbunchu resigned from his position as Archbishop of Bangkok on 14 May 2009. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest active head of anarchdiocese in theLatin Church. In addition to his native language,Central Thai (official and national) and hisethnic Chinese dialect ofTeochew, he can also speak other languages such asLatin, English, Italian, French and StandardMandarin.[2]
From the death ofRoger Etchegaray in 2019, Kitbunchu andAlexandre do Nascimento were tied as the longest-tenured members of the College of Cardinals, both having been appointed in 1983. After do Nascimento's death on September 28, 2024, Kitbunchu became the sole longest-tenured member of the College.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Joseph Khiamsun Nittayo | Archbishop of Bangkok 18 December 1972 – 14 May 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal Priest of San Lorenzo in Panisperna 2 February 1983 – | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Cardinal Protopriest 14 December 2016 – | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
