Pope Francis Names Thai Priest Chaplain Of His Holiness
By UCA News
Father Thasanai Komkris of Thailand has been appointed by Pope Francis as chaplain of His Holiness, an honorary title granted to long-serving diocesan priests.
Father Komkris spent 20 years working to prepare a Catholic edition of the Bible in the Thai language, which was published in 2014.
The new chaplain of His Holiness was born Sept. 18, 1935, in Songhkla, in southern Thailand, one of 10 children.
Father Komris studied at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome from 1954 to 1961 He was ordained a priest on Dec. 21, 1960.
Father Komkris recalls a meeting he had with St. John XXIII, who visited the college in November 1958, a month after his election: “His Holiness said jokingly: ‘My house is right on the other side. My window is on the side opposite to yours, then open the window, so we’ll see you in the face.'”