Catholic Online Forum

SINGAPORE: The newly—ordained head of the Catholic Church, Coadjutor Archbishop William Goh, welcomed political and religious leaders at a reception at the Catholic Spirituality Centre in Upper Serangoon Road on Saturday morning.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife were among the guests which include Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Members of Parliament, and members of the Inter—Religious Organisation.

The new Archbishop told the 300—strong audience at the reception that the Catholic Church in Singapore is committed to dialogue and maintaining religious harmony.

Inter—religious dialogue, he added, can be a way to deal with the threat of secularism.

Coadjutor Archbishop Goh said: "The greatest concern of the church today is simply this — that the world is becoming too secularised. In itself it is not wrong. It is when secularisation becomes secularism — that is to say anti—church and anti—religion. And so without religion, without faith in the absolute, because God is the absolute, then we don’t have an objective foundation for moral values."

He added: "As a result, people are divided, people are fragmented, because it is all based on relativism, which simply means to say, it is up to each one to think. How can we build a united society when we don’t have a reference point, a basis for unity?"

The Catholic Church (Archdiocese of Singapore) is a key part of our diverse religious landscape. It has served the poor and needy of all faiths and races, provided excellent education and social services, and benefited many Singaporeans over the years. I have worked closely with Archbishop Nicholas Chia to promote religious harmony and understanding during his term as Archbishop, and thank him for his many contributions over the past 12 years.

At the reception, Coadjutor Archbishop Goh explained to me his Coat-Of-Arms, which included his motto and other symbols that represent Singapore and the French Mission founding of the Catholic Church here. His Grace intends to lead the Church to continue contributing to a cohesive and compassionate society, peace and harmony in Singapore.

I congratulate Coadjutor Archbishop Goh and look forward to working with him. I am confident that the Catholic Church and its 300,000 strong community will continue to flourish and make important contributions to Singapore under his leadership. - LHL