The Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Pope John Paul II visited Pakistan on February 16, 1981.
There are over one million Catholics in Pakistan, which represents less than 1% of the total population. There are 7 ecclesiastical units in Pakistan comprising 2 archdioceses, 4 dioceses, and one Apostolic Vicariate, all Latin Rite.
The Catholic Church in Pakistan is also active in education managing leading schools like Saint Patrick's High School, Karachi, health and other social aspects of daily life in addition to its spiritual work. The Catholic Church runs 534 schools, 53 hostels, 8 colleges, 7 technical institutes and 8 catechetical centers, according to 2008 statistics.[1]
Joseph Cordeiro, Archbishop of Karachi, became the first (and thus far only) Pakistani Cardinal elevated to the position by Pope Paul VI on 5 Mar 1973.
Pope John Paul II received the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf in a private audience in the Vatican on 30 September 2004. [2] In 2004 President Pervez Musharraf began hosting an annual Christmas dinner as an expression of seasonal goodwill. [3]
For the first time in the country’s history, Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic, became the federal minister for minorities in 2008.[4]Bhatti was assassinated February 2011.[5]
Pope Benedict XVI met the Roman Catholic bishops of Pakistan on June 19, 2008. The bishops were in Rome for their ad limina visit. [6]
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Meanwhile the Church continues to be persecuted. As recently at April 2009 armed men attacked a group of Christians in Taiser Town, near Karachi. They set ablaze six Christian houses and injured three Christians, including an 11-year-old boy, who was in critical condition in hospital. [7]
The minorities in Swat Valley are fleeing the area as the Taliban have imposed a tax on non-Muslims, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference president Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha has said, urging the Pakistani president and prime minister to intervene. The government has recently allowed the imposition of Sharia laws in parts of the North West Frontier Province much to the detriment of non- Muslims.[8]
In 2009, Pakistan is the only country in the world with a “blasphemy law”. The constitution also ensures that a non-Muslim cannot become president, prime minister or any of the 11 senior most government positions in the country.[9]
On July 30, 2009, tensions arose in the Christian village of Korian after pages containing Islamic inscriptions were found in front of a Christian home. Muslims then accused a family there of blasphemy against Islam. On Aug. 1, 2009, a Muslim mob raided a Christian settlement in Gojra vandalizing and looting houses and causing the deaths of eight people and injuries to many others. Fifty Christian homes were destroyed. Pope Benedict XVI has expressed profound sorrow at recent anti-Christian riots in Pakistan and appealed to everyone to renounce violence and take up again the path of peace. He communicated this message in a telegram to Faisalabad Bishop Joseph Coutts.[10]
St. Thomas’ Church, Wah Cantt was attacked by a group of armed men on 28 March 2011 which resulted in damages. It is believed that the incident was related to the recent episode of the burning of the Quran by Pastor Terry Jones in the U.S.[11]
Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad
Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Multan
Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad
Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta
| Arch/diocese/vicariate | Catholics | Priests |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi | 149350 | 36 |
| Hyderabad | 48991 | 7 |
| Quetta | 27000 | 1 |
| Lahore | 502619 | 28 |
| Multan | 98500 | 11 |
| Faisalabad | 135879 | 44 |
| Islamabad-Rawalpindi | 122443 | 19 |
Source:"The Catholic Church in Pakistan Directory 2002". http://www.sfxs-pk.urbaniana.edu/pages/present.htm.
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