Come with me and I will make you fishers o f people.
- Matthew 4 :1 9
This thesis mainly examines the development in the Mission o f Siam and its
relationship with the Thai state. Since, at this stage, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Church in Thailand was divided between different types of Mission, a
clarification o f these different types might be helpful at this point. In the modem day, the Church in most territories with a high number o f resident Catholics will be
organised into dioceses and archdioceses - administrative territorial units run by a bishop or an archbishop. However, in cases where there was an insufficient number o f Catholics as to warrant the establishment o f a diocese or archdiocese or where missionary activities were in their early stages, it is common for the territory to go through four stages of development, best illustrated by the development of the modern-day Diocese of Ratchaburi.
In the first instance, especially in places where missionary prospects are uncertain, a Mission “Sui iuris” may be set up. A Mission “Sui iuris” is effectively an independent mission headed by an Ecclesiastical Superior who may be a regular priest, bishop, archbishop, or a cardinal, although the Superior does not necessarily have to be in residence. These Missions are usually located in remote areas, with few Catholics. Upon its separation from Bangkok, Ratchaburi gained this status in June 1930. The territory was in turn led by Gaetan Pasotti, a priest of the Salesian Order, who was appointed Superior.
If the Mission “Sui iuris” successfully develops by establishing and
maintaining a stable Catholic population, as Ratchaburi had done by May 1934, the area of jurisdiction may be re-organised into an apostolic prefecture (or prefecture
apostolic) — the second stage of development. A prefect-apostolic (or apostolic prefect) acts as the administrator o f the territory, and is subject only to the Pope. Their authority thus derives from the Pope, rather than directly from their office, as would be the case with diocesan bishops.92
Further development o f the apostolic prefecture will be marked by the third stage of development - the elevation to the status of an apostolic vicariate (or vicariate apostolic), headed by a vicar-apostolic (or apostolic vicar). The Prefect- Apostolic o f Ratchaburi was thus elevated to this status in April 1941. There is little difference between an apostolic prefecture and an apostolic vicariate in terms o f jurisdiction and the exercise of authority. However, in terms o f official hierarchy, a
vicar-apostolic outranks a prefect-apostolic. Vicars-apostolic are still subject only to the Pope, and are usually appointed to titular sees. The elevation marks the
penultimate step to the establishment o f a diocese or an archdiocese.
The fourth, and last step, is the establishment o f a diocese or an archdiocese. Depending on a number of factors including history, territorial extent, and number of Catholics, a vicariate apostolic may become a suffragan diocese or an archdiocese in its own right, led by either a bishop or archbishop.93 Thus, the Apostolic Vicariate of Siam/Bangkok94 was elevated into an archdiocese in December 1965 while the Apostolic Vicariate o f Ratchaburi, which had originally derived its territories from Bangkok, was elevated to the status o f a diocese but one that was suffragan to the
92 Although som e prefects-apostolic may refer to them selves as being bishops o f their area as a short hand, in actual fact, technically they were bishops o f titular sees only. Thus, Prefect-Apostolic Pasotti o f Ratchaburi m ay have been known informally as the Bishop o f Ratchaburi but, in actual fact, he was the Titular B ishop o f Barata.
93 Som e bishops or archbishops may also be appointed to the position o f Cardinal. Thailand’s only and current cardinal is M ichael Michai Kitbunchu, former Archbishop o f Bangkok, who was appointed on 2 February 1983 as Cardinal-priest o f San Lorenzo in Panispema.
94 The A postolic Vicariate o f Siam underwent several name changes. In 1841, it became the A postolic V icariate o f Eastern Siam (Siam Orientale), and in 1924 it became the A postolic Vicariate o f Bangkok. H ow ever, despite these changes it continued to term itself as the M ission o f Siam until the early 1940s.
Archdiocese of Bangkok. On the other hand, Tha Rae and Nongsaeng, derived from the Apostolic Vicariate o f Laos,9’1 which had separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Bangkok in 1899, became an archdiocese in its own right.
The normal progression is thus: mission, apostolic prefecture, apostolic vicariate, and then diocese or archdiocese. There are, however, some exceptions. For example, the first Mission in Siam in 1662 was actually set up as an apostolic vicariate rather than a Mission “Sui iuris”. The designation was made possible through the combination o f the past missionary efforts of the Portuguese, the needs of the French missionaries to establish their own authority in a formal hierarchy, and what was thought to be a high chance of future success for the Mission, thanks to the positive atmosphere generated by King Narai (1656-88). In the 1940s, due to the pressures being exerted on the Apostolic Vicariate of Bangkok at the time and the prior existence o f a strong Catholic community there, Chantaburi was immediately elevated to the status o f an apostolic vicariate. In more recent times, Chiang Mai also skipped the Mission “Sui iuris” stage and became an apostolic prefecture in 1959, also because o f the earlier and successful missionary efforts conducted by the Mission o f Siam. Shortly thereafter, it also leapfrogged the apostolic vicariate stage and became a full diocese in December 1965.
In formal correspondence with the Church authorities, these territories would use their proper titles, whether they were apostolic prefectures, apostolic vicariates, and so on. However, given the variety o f statuses and titles and the confusion they might cause for those unfamiliar with the Catholic hierarchy, in day-to-day
communications to elements within or outside the Church, it was normal practice for
95 The A postolic Vicariate o f Laos had jurisdiction over French-controlled Laos as w ell as Northeastern Thailand, w hich w as som etim es referred to provocatively as “Western Laos” in m issionary correspondence.
these territories to be referred to generally as a Mission and their leader as the “bishop” of the Mission,
Thus, prior to its elevation as a diocese, Ratchaburi was always known as the Mission o f Ratchaburi, regardless o f its changing status as a Mission “Sui iuris”, apostolic prefecture, or apostolic vicariate. After its elevation to the status o f a diocese, the Mission effectively ceased to exist, and today the territory is referred to as the Diocese o f Ratchaburi.%
96 The diocese has undergone som e formal name changes since its elevation. Immediately on its elevation as a diocese in 1965, it was known as the D iocese o f Bangnokkhwaek. A year later, it became the D iocese o f Ratburi, finally settling in 1969 in favour o f the current name o f the D iocese o f Ratchaburi.