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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi

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Archdiocese of Karachi
Archidioecesis Karachiensis
آرچ ڈائیوسیس آف کراچی
St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Location
Country Pakistan
Territory The city of Karachi with its five districts: Karachi Central, South, West, East and Malir.
Ecclesiastical province Karachi
Coordinates 24°51′43″N 67°2′6″E / 24.86194°N 67.03500°E
Statistics
Area 180,000 km2 (69,000 sq mi)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2013)
18,371,000
166,000 (0.9%)
Information
Denomination Catholic Church
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established 1948
Cathedral St. Patrick's Cathedral
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop Benny Mario Travas
Suffragans Diocese of Hyderabad
Bishops emeritus Evarist Pinto, Joseph Coutts
Map

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi — The Archdiocese of Karachi is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Pakistan. It was erected on 20 May 1948 under as a then-suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Bombay.

History

The Augustinians were the first to start a mission in the village of Kolachi in the 17th century. They were followed by the Discalced Carmelites who worked in the area until 1672. Around 1842–1843, the Carmelites once again attended to the spiritual needs of the British troops. The Capuchin order served from 1852 and then the Jesuits from 1856 to 1934. On 1 June 1934, it was declared a Mission under the Franciscans. It was elevated as the Archdiocese of Karachi on 15 July 1950 when the priests of the Archdiocese took over the management from the Franciscans.[1]

Development

The seat of the Archdiocese is St. Patrick's Cathedral. The Christ the King seminary, the major seminary of the country is located in the Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese has contributed to the welfare of the country through its schools, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions. In 1998, the Archdiocese of Karachi owned 17 English- and 46 Urdu-medium schools for some 40,000 students with about 1,700 teachers.[2]

The Archdiocese has also produced a religious order for women known as the Franciscan Missionaries of Christ the King (FMCK) that founded schools, orphanages, homes for the aged and disabled and hospitals throughout the country and in India and Sri Lanka.

The Archdiocese publishes an Urdu-language weekly newspaper Agahi (knowledge) and an English-language weekly newspaper The Christian Voice, Karachi.[3]

The Archdiocese celebrated its Golden Jubilee on 20 May 1998.[4]

In 2000, the archdiocese had 18 parishes, 15 in the city of Karachi and one each in mission stations at Kotri, Khuzdar and Larkana.[5] In 2009, the Archdiocese had 145 thousand faithful in a population of 15 million people.[6]

Encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Social Communications, wherein he affirms that "digital technologies are a gift for humanity that can be useful for spreading solidarity and understanding among people and populations",[7] the Archdiocese launched a web-based television network Good News TV in February 2009. Father Arthur Charles, the Vicar General, is the CEO of Good News TV.[8]

On 11 December 2009 the Archdiocese lost its longest serving priest when Father D'Arcy D'Souza, 97, died in Holy Family Hospital. Fr. D'Arcy gave sixty six years of his life in the service of the Church.[9]

In June 2018 Pope Francis made Archbishop Coutts a cardinal priest, assigning him the titular church of San Bonaventura da Bagnoregio.[10][11]

On 28 May 2023, the Archdiocese of Karachi celebrated the 75th anniversary of its establishment. More than eight thousand people attended the Mass concelebrated by Archbishop Benny Travas of Karachi, Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad and Bishop Yousaf Sohan of Multan and many priests.[12]

Archbishops of Karachi

Churches in the diocese

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, Karachi

The Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, located on Siddiq Wahab Road in the Old Haji Camp area, is a part of the Archdiocese.

The first parish priest, from July 1941 – 1944, was Fr. Liberius Pieterse. He later became known for his translation of the Bible into Urdu.[14] For nearly 80 years, parish nuns have maintained a medical clinic and school for poor Pakistanis.

During the mid-1950s Fr. Simeon Anthony Pereira was appointed Parish Priest of the parish. Fr. Simeon went on to become the Archbishop of Karachi [15]

The parish also has a school attached to it.[16]

St. Francis was the first parish to cater to the many people migrating from Punjab province to the city. The Jesuits and the Franciscan Missionaries of Christ the King nuns started the migrant mission which still continues as Catholics pour in from the provinces.[17]

Attack

On 12 October 2012, the parish was attacked by a mob of 600 Islamic radicals that destroyed property in the yard, but failed to break down the front door.[18] Saleem Khurshid Khokhar, a member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly, visited shortly after the attack and condemned violence against religious minorities.[19]

In the media

The Archdiocese promotes the message of the Gospel through the following media:

See also

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church.[20]

References

  1. Back to citation "UCANews Accessed 13 July 2020". Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. Back to citation "UCANews.com March 3, 1998". Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  3. Back to citation "AsiaNews.it 21 October2006". Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  4. Back to citation "KARACHI ARCHDIOCESE GOLDEN JUBILEE". Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
  5. Back to citation The Christian Voice, Karachi, 27 August 2000
  6. Back to citation "AsiaNews.it 29 October 2009". Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  7. Back to citation "Catholic Word Getting Out In Pakistan". Archived from the original on 26 June 2009.
  8. Back to citation "Good News TV". Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  9. Back to citation "Ucanews.com December 17, 2009". Archived from the original on 30 October 2017.
  10. Back to citation D'Emilio, Frances (28 June 2018). "Pope, making new cardinals, hears Iraqi tell of martyrs". Fox News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  11. Back to citation "Concistoro Ordinario Pubblico: Assegnazione dei Titoli, 28.06.2018" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  12. Back to citation "Geo TV reported on 29 May 2023". Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  13. Back to citation "AsiaNews 12 November 2011". Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  14. Back to citation In memoriam Rev. Fr. Liberius Pieterse O.F.M., 12/2/1905 – 24/9/1973 Archived 7 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, NEWSLETTER O.F.M. a monthly publication of the Franciscan Custody of St. John the Baptist, Pakistan, Portiuncula Friary, November 1973
  15. Back to citation "KARACHI: Simeon Pereira dies". Dawn. 24 August 2006. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  16. Back to citation "KARACHI: Film show held for special children". Dawn. 14 July 2002. Archived from the original on 3 October 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  17. Back to citation UCANews 7 November 2011
  18. Back to citation The church of San Francesco attacked in Karachi: the Franciscans in fear Archived 10 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Agenzia Fides, 17 October 2012
  19. Back to citation Muslim mob vandalize St. Francis Church Karachi Archived 10 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Pakistan Christian Post
  20. Back to citation Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi, official website
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