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Roman Catholic Archbishop Act

(CHAPTER 375)

(Original Enactment: Act 42 of 1975)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act to incorporate the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore.

[12th December 1975]

Whereas the Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Malacca was incorporated under the Roman Catholic Bishop Ordinance (Chapter 314 of the 1955 Revised Edition) on 10th June 1910 in the territories formerly known as the Straits Settlements:

And Whereas by decree of the Holy See of Rome made on 20th May 1954 the Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Malacca was raised to the dignity of Archbishop:

And Whereas by a further decree of the Holy See of Rome made on 25th February 1955 the Archdiocese of Malacca was divided and the territories consisting of the then Colony of Singapore and the State of Johore and the Settlement of Malacca became the Archdiocese of Malacca Singapore and jurisdiction over the Archdiocese of Malacca Singapore was conferred upon His Grace Michael Olcomendy, Archbishop of Malacca Singapore:

And Whereas the Right Reverend Michael Olcomendy was by a further decree of the Holy See of Rome made on 18th December 1972 appointed to be the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of the See of Singapore having jurisdiction over the Archdiocese of Singapore consisting of the territory of Singapore:

And Whereas it is desirable to incorporate the said Right Reverend Michael Olcomendy and his successors in office, and to vest in the Corporation so created all movable and immovable properties situate in Singapore now vested in the Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Malacca.

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Roman Catholic Archbishop Act.

The Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy of Singapore to be a body corporate

2.—(1) The Right Reverend Michael Olcomendy, the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore and his successors in office shall be a body corporate (referred to in this Act as the Corporation) which shall for the purposes of this Act have the name of the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore and by that name have perpetual succession and shall have a corporate seal, and be capable of acquiring, holding and disposing of movable and immovable property, of suing and being sued and of performing all such acts and things as bodies corporate may lawfully perform.

(2) The seal, which may consist of a rubber stamp, may from time to time be broken, changed, altered and made anew as to the Corporation seems fit.

(3) “Successors in office” shall be deemed to include either an Administrator Apostolic or a Vicar Capitular administering the affairs of the Archdiocese of Singapore in Singapore from the time when the office of the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore becomes vacant by the resignation or death of the holder for the time being or vacant for any other reason until the formal assumption of office by his successor. There shall not be concurrent holders of any two of the offices of Archbishop, Administrator Apostolic or Vicar Capitular and any power of attorney given by any one of them shall cease to be valid when the donor of the power of attorney ceases to administer the affairs of the diocese.

Vesting of property in the Archbishop of Singapore

3. All movable and immovable properties of every description situate in Singapore which immediately before the commencement of this Act were vested in the Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Malacca (referred to in this Act as the former Corporation) whether with or without the name of the ecclesiastic for the time being holding office, and whether with or without the addition of the words “resident in the Straits Settlements”, is hereby vested in the Corporation for the respective estates and interests for which the same is held.

Use of corporate name

4.—(1) All deeds, documents and other instruments requiring the seal of the Corporation shall be sealed with the seal of the Corporation in the presence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore for the time being or when the Archbishopric is vacant in the presence of the Administrator Apostolic or of the Vicar Capitular of the Archdiocese of Singapore, as the case may be, or the attorney of any one of them duly authorised by a power of attorney deposited pursuant to section 48 of the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act [Cap. 61], and shall also be signed by the Archbishop for the time being or by the Administrator Apostolic or Vicar Capitular, as the case may be, or the attorney of any one of them so authorised.

(2) Such signing shall be sufficient evidence that the seal was duly and properly affixed and that the seal is the lawful seal of the Corporation.

Notification of appointment of Archbishop

5. A notification in the Gazette of the appointment of any person to exercise the office of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore or of the Administrator Apostolic or of the Vicar Capitular of the Archdiocese of Singapore, as the case may be, shall be conclusive evidence that such person was duly authorised to exercise that office in Singapore.

Saving of other rights

6. Nothing in this Act shall affect the rights of the President or of any body politic or corporate or of any other person except such as are mentioned in this Act and those claiming by, from or under them.

Transitional provision

7.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), every agreement, whether in writing or not, to which the former Corporation was a party immediately before the date of commencement of this Act, and whether or not of such nature that the rights and liabilities thereunder could be assigned, shall have effect as from that date as if —

(a)	the Corporation had been a party to such an agreement; and
(b)	for any reference (however worded and whether express or implied) to the former Corporation there were substituted in respect of anything to be done on or after that date a reference to the Corporation.

(2) The appointment of any officer or employee of the former Corporation subsisting immediately before the commencement of this Act shall, if that officer or employee so agrees, be deemed to be made by the Corporation, and for the purpose of determining the rate of pension and gratuities on retirement the service of that officer or employee shall be regarded as continuous from the time he was appointed by the former Corporation.

(3) Where anything has been commenced under the authority of the former Corporation before the commencement of this Act, such thing may be carried on and completed under the authority of the Corporation.

(4) All rights, obligations and liabilities which immediately before the commencement of this Act were vested in or incurred by the former Corporation shall pass by succession to the Corporation, and the Corporation shall have all powers necessary to recover and deal with those rights and discharge those obligations and liabilities.