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PAKISTAN: Inter-faith champion is Karachi's new archbishop
By John Newton
Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, Pakistan, who has been elevated by Pope Benedict XVI to the archdiocese of Karachi
The UK head of Aid to the Church in Need has welcomed the promotion of a senior bishop in Pakistan who is recognised as a leading voice for better inter-faith relations.
Pope Benedict XVI elevated Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad to the archdiocese of Karachi on 25 January, the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul.
Neville Kyrke-Smith, UK director of Aid to the Church in Need, praised the choice of Bishop Coutts for the see in the south of the country.
He said: “We are delighted by the appointment of Bishop Coutts to the archdiocese of Karachi.
“His tireless work promoting justice and peace between Christians and Muslims will help him face the immense challenges of his new post.”
Mr Kyrke-Smith went on to describe how the UK office of the charity has worked closely with the new Archbishop of Karachi.
He said: “Aid to the Church in Need UK has had close connections with Bishop Coutts, who has been a great friend to the charity over the years. He came to open our new office in Scotland in 2009.
“Last year we worked with him on our campaign to bring pressure on the Pakistan government to review the blasphemy laws – the misuse of which has caused so much suffering to our Christian brothers and sisters in the country, as well as members of other religious minorities.
“We wish him every blessing and success as he moves to Karachi to be a shepherd and father to the Christian community there.”
The 66-year-old bishop has been at the forefront of inter-faith dialogue with Muslims in a bid to bring stability to the small and frequently persecuted Christian community in Pakistan.
Under the country’s blasphemy laws members of religious minorities can face life imprisonment or death for insulting the Muslim prophet Mohammed or desecrating the Qur’an. The laws have also been used as a pretext for attacks on Christians and other groups.
Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need early in 2011, Bishop Joseph Coutts said: “The challenge becomes more difficult to be messengers of peace and love in a situation where there is so much prejudice, violence and hatred.
“Yet this is the challenge we have to take up – to love and expect nothing in return, to carry on without losing hope, to light at least one candle rather than curse the darkness.”
Bishop Coutts is succeeding Evarist Pinto as Archbishop of Karachi. Archbishop Pinto is stepping down from active ministry, having reached the age for retirement (75) three years ago.
Bishop Coutts has previous connections with Karachi Diocese, having trained for the priesthood at Christ the King seminary in the early 1970s.
In June 1998, he was appointed Bishop of Faisalabad following the suicide of Bishop John Joseph – the first native Pakistani to be appointed as a bishop – in protest against the blasphemy laws.
Bishop Coutts serves as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, and is director of Caritas Pakistan, the national Catholic Church’s agency for social work, relief and development.