Thai Cardinal

[ncr]

I am by no means Catholic, but the Papal election is nevertheless very interesting (as well as momentous for the whole world).....!

List of Papal electors in the 2005 conclave (Wikipedia)

Here and here is some info on the Thai cardinal taking part, Archbishop of Bangkok Michael Michai Kitbunchu.

He was the first Thai ever to be created a cardinal, by the way.

[GWR]

And to be honest I've seen his name spelt the latter way the majority of times. I guess Michael is a sort of anglisization (perhaps not the most apt word) of Michai.

Meechai is a slang term for a condom, after that famous birth-control advocate Meechai Viravaidya. I suspect a strategic spelling change has occurred at some point in history.

[ncr]

Originally Posted by GWR

Meechai is a slang term for a condom, after that famous birth-control advocate Meechai Viravaidya.

Yeah, funny coincidence, that.... his name might sound like "Cardinal Condom" to Thai ears....

[GWR]

I guess in the Phillipines they would call that a 'Cardinal Sin'.

[ncr]

Originally Posted by GWR

I guess in the Phillipines they would call that a 'Cardinal Sin'.

But enough of those unholy puns!

[GWR]

Cardinal Ratsinger has already been chosen. I'm sure there's a pun there somewhere

[AMRivlin]

Thanks, this is interesting information. I am curious however, the catholic population in Bangkok is great enough to require the services of a cardinal or is he stationed elsewhere and I didnt catch that.

[ncr]

Originally Posted by AMRivlin

Thanks, this is interesting information. I am curious however, the catholic population in Bangkok is great enough to require the services of a cardinal or is he stationed elsewhere and I didnt catch that.

The Archdiocese of Bangkok comprises around 80,000 catholic christians, out of a total population of 12.2 million in its area (Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Suphanburi, parts of Chachoengsao and Nakhon Nayok). Also see this table. Altogether there seem to be about 290,000 catholics in Thailand.

There's also yet more info on Cardinal Michai here.