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The first Thai cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in Thailand, Cardinal Michai Kitbunchu has celebrated Mass on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his consecration.Thanking in a particular way the bishops John Nittayo and Gorge Yod Phimphisan - president of the conference of Catholic bishops in Thailand - for the support he has received from them, Cardinal Michai Kitbunchu commented: "It is a great honour to me and to the Thai Church, and also a great tribute to the Holy See in the continent of Asia. On this very special occasion I would like to thank the foreign missionaries who with their hardship and endurance first established Catholic community more than 400 years ago. The Thai Church developed, grew and flourished until today with the grace of God and the merit of the missionaries".
Born in 1930, Michael Michai Kitbunchu was ordained a priest in 1959, together with 32 other seminaries of Propaganda Fide, including another Thai. The consistory - the ceremony in which cardinals are created - took place in 1983, when Pope John Paul II named him a cardinal. Cardinal Michai Kitbunchu has always been a courageous defender of the faith, including his firm positions against abortion each time non-governmental organisations have appealed to women's rights to legalise the interruption of pregnancy
During his mandate, in the area of education the cardinal has given his full support to the Catholic churches managed by the dioceses of the country, where religious men and women offer a valuable service of formation and guidance.
In particular, Cardinal Kitbunchu sees Catholic education as a right for the least privileged, and a duty in order to facilitate the development of a community. Nonetheless, the cardinal warns against the dangers of materialism and consumerism, obstacles that prevent the discernment between right and wrong.
Thus, the guiding principle in society must be love, the solidarity toward one's neighbour without distinction of citizenship, race, or religion.
Recalling the need for the merciful grace of God, Cardinal Kitbunchu affirmed: "The heart of Catholicism is to demonstrate that human dignity is important for every human being, and that it is possible to live peacefully together without selfishness. Peace may occur only when people respect one another and value human dignity. Though we may be different, we are in the same human family".
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