In a historic moment for the Catholic Church in Cambodia, Pope Leo XIV appointed Msgr. Pierre Suon Hangly as the Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Phnom Penh on June 28.
The announcement was made by the Apostolic Nunciature to Cambodia, based in Bangkok.
This appointment marks the first time since the Church’s return to Cambodia in 1990 that a Cambodian priest has been named Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic.
Msgr. Hangly becomes the second Cambodian in history to hold such a title, following Fr. Joseph Chhmar Salas, who was appointed in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.
He was born on April 15, 1972, in Pho Thom, in the same village as Bishop Joseph Chmar Salas. Msgr. Hangly was ordained a priest on December 9, 2001.
He served in Kampot and Takeo from 2002 to 2007 before pursuing further theological studies at the Institut Catholique de Paris, France, from 2007 to 2015, where he earned a bachelor’s and licentiate in theology.
Upon returning to Cambodia, Msgr. Hangly was appointed vicar general of the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh and later served as superior of the local seminary.
In July 2022, he was named Apostolic Prefect of Kompong Cham, and now, in June 2025, he steps into the role of Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, under the leadership of Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, MEP, covers the southern region of Cambodia, including Phnom Penh and surrounding areas.
It comprises 7 pastoral centers and 26 priests and serves the Catholic population amid a wider population of 6.4 million.
Bishop Olivier expressed profound gratitude for Msgr. Hangly's appointment, stating, "I am deeply grateful to Msgr. Hangly for accepting this new mission in the service of the People of God in Phnom Penh, with the same trust and surrender as the Virgin Mary."
He added that Msgr. Hangly knows the Vicariate well, with its diversity, dynamism, and pastoral challenges in a rapidly developing society.
“The appointment of a Cambodian coadjutor is a sign of the maturity of our local church and a strong signal for rooting our small Catholic Church more deeply into Cambodian society, culture, and the lives of the people,” Bishop Olivier said.
Msgr. Hangly will now serve alongside Bishop Olivier in pastoral leadership and is expected to eventually succeed him as Vicar Apostolic of Phnom Penh.
This appointment represents an important advancement in the ongoing development of the Cambodian Catholic Church and highlights the growing leadership role of native clergy in the life of the Church in Asia.
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