About Kriengsak Kovitvanit
Born 1949. Kriengsak Kovitvanit is a Thai theologian, catholic priest and catholic bishop.
Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanij (, , ; He entered the St Joseph's Minor Seminary in Sam Phran. From 1970 to 1976 he studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, and was ordained as priest on 11 July 1976. He was first assigned to be assistant priest at the Nativity of Mary Church in Ban Pan, and then at the Epiphany Church Koh Yai (1977–1979). In 1979–1981 he served as vice-rector of St Joseph's Minor Seminary in Sam Phran. He went to the Gregorian University in Rome from 1982 till 1983 to specialize in spirituality.
From 1983 to 1989 he was rector of the Holy Family Intermediate Seminary in Nakhon Ratchasima, and then till 1993 under-secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand, as well as rector of Lux Mundi National Major Seminary in Sam Phran since 1992. In 2000 he became parish priest at the church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hua Take, and also since 2001 a special lecturer at Sam Phran major seminary. From 2003 until his appointment as bishop, he was parish priest of the Assumption Cathedral and secretary of the council of priests of the Archdiocese of Bangkok.
On 7 March 2007 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Nakhon Sawan, which had been vacant since 2005, when his predecessor Louis Chamniern Santisukniram was made Archbishop of Thare and Nonseng. He was consecrated on 2 June by Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu, whose successor as Archbishop of Bangkok he became on 14 May 2009. Kovitvanit was installed on 16 August 2009.
On 4 January 2015 it was announced that Pope Francis had appointed him a cardinal. He was made a cardinal on 14 February and at that ceremony, he was appointed Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Addolorata.
In April 2015 he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop of Bangkok on 27 June 2024—the archbishop's 75th birthday.
He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
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Important facts
People in Kriengsak Kovitvanit's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Kriengsak Kovitvanit's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Kriengsak Kovitvanit?
Thai cardinal
When was Kriengsak Kovitvanit born?
Kriengsak Kovitvanit was born on 27 June 1949 in Bang Rak.
What is Kriengsak Kovitvanit's occupation?
Kriengsak Kovitvanit is a theologian, catholic priest and catholic bishop.
What nationality is Kriengsak Kovitvanit?
Kriengsak Kovitvanit is Thai.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Kriengsak Kovitvanit
· DBpedia: Kriengsak Kovitvanit
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Kriengsak Kovitvanit. https://biography.guide/kriengsak-kovitvanit/
MLA: "Kriengsak Kovitvanit." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/kriengsak-kovitvanit/.
Chicago: "Kriengsak Kovitvanit." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/kriengsak-kovitvanit/.
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