| Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi Dioecesis Islamabadensis-Ravalpindensis |
|
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Metropolitan | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore |
| Statistics | |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2009) 35,000,000 180,000 (0.51%) |
| Information | |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Cathedral | St Joseph’s Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Rufin Anthony |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi (Lat: Dioecesis Islamabadensis-Ravalpindensis) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan.
The diocese has a long history, as it was originally erected in 1887, as the Apostolic Prefecture of Kafiristan and Kashmir. The prefecture was erected from the Diocese of Lahore.
In 1947, the Apostolic prefecture was elevated to a full diocese, and renamed the diocese of Rawalpindi.
In 1952, Kashmir was lost to the diocese, and a new diocese created from territory in Rawalpindi and Lahore to create the Apostolic Prefecture of Kashmir and Jammu.
In 1979, the name was changed to the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lahore. It comprises the Rawalpindi Division, the Sargodha Division, the whole Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, the FATA (Federal Administrated Tribal Areas), Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas, Gujrat District of Gujranwala Division. At the time there were only 16 priests to minister to the Catholics in the diocese.[1]
The principal church of the diocese is the St. Joseph's Cathedral, Rawalpindi.[2]
The Diocese has a population of about 35 million, including 250,000 Catholics many of whom are committed to education (through its more than 70 schools like the Catholic Public High School in Sangota, in the Swat Valley), training institutes and hospitals.[3]
In 2009, 31 priests served a declining population of 180,000 Catholics.[4] The third largest Catholic diocese of Pakistan is divided into 19 parishes.[5]
The former vicar general of Faisalabad diocese, Father Rufin Anthony, was appointed Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Anthony Theodore Lobo of the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi by Pope Benedict XVI on August 4, 2009. He succeeded Bishop Lobo as Bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi upon the acceptance by Benedict of Lobo's resignation on Thursday, February 18, 2010.[6]
In August 2010 the heaviest rains in 80 years caused the worst flooding the country has ever seen, affecting much of the Diocese. Catholic Relief Services, Pakistan had to evacuate staff quarters in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa region due to the flooding in the province. A team of Caritas Pakistan also travelled to Peshawar to assess the situation and follow up with relief aid.[7] The Sisters of the Daughters of St. Paul congregation also distributed religious as well as food items in Nowshera, one of the 10 districts in Pakistan most severely affected by the floods.[8]
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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..[10]