The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu (Lat: Archdioecesis Kotakinabaluensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia. The Archdiocese as such was created in 2008, but has a long history slowly rising along with the Catholic population all the way from a prefecture to an Archdiocese with 2 suffragans. The Archdiocese is also the oldest ecclesiastical territory in Malaysia.
Originally erected in 1855 as the apostolic prefecture of Labuan e Borneo, the prefecture was created from territory from the former Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia. In 1927 the prefecture was renamed the Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Borneo, and split to form the Apostolic prefecture of Sarawak. In 1952 the prefecture was elevated and renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Jesselton. In 1962 the name was changed once more to the Apostolic Vicariate of Kota Kinabalu. In 1976 the vicariate was elevated to a full diocese, suffragan to the metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuching. In 1992 the diocese was split and the Diocese of Keningau created. In 2007 the diocese was split once more and the Diocese of Sandakan created.
On May 23, 2008, the diocese was elevated once more to an archdiocese, metropolitan of two dioceses, both formerly part of the original territory of the diocese of Kota Kinabalu: the Diocese of Keningau and the Diocese of Sandakan.
On June 21, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr. John Wong Soo Kau, director of the aspirants’ formation house in Kota Kinabalu, as Coadjutor Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu. His ordination took place on October 1, 2010.
As of 2013 the Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu was John Wong Soo Kau, appointed in 2010. His predecessor was John Lee Hiong Fun-Yit Yaw, appointed in 1987 and retired on December 1, 2012.
Read more about Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Kota Kinabalu: Ordinaries, See Also
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