Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Catholics in Pakistan
Rome (Fides News Agency) – "Pakistan is acting as a mediator of peace between two major powers, Iran and the United States, for world peace. This is a very positive development. I am also surprised that Pakistan is suddenly being perceived so positively by the world, by other countries, and by the international community," Cardinal Joseph Coutts, Archbishop Emeritus of Karachi, told Fides, who was in Rome with the delegation of Pakistani bishops for an ad limina visit.
In an interview with Fides, the Cardinal explained: “I hope we can continue to think and act in this direction and not focus on the development of weapons. Because I fear that the two go hand in hand: Pakistan, too, is developing its own weapons, missiles, and ships. Rather, we should heed Pope Leo’s call for an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace and work together toward global disarmament. We hope and pray that Pakistan will indeed choose the path of genuine peace.”
“Against the terrible backdrop of the war in the Middle East,” Cardinal Coutts remarked, “Pakistan’s participation in these peace efforts is positive and a source of hope for us all. We, too, the small Christian community in Pakistan, are working in the same direction and want to promote peace and harmony.” “I prefer to speak of ‘harmony’ rather than interreligious dialogue,” noted the Cardinal, whose episcopal motto is “Harmony.” “Harmony truly means mutual acceptance. Dialogue can mean presenting one's own positions unchanged. However, the purpose of every meeting is to listen to one another and create the harmony that makes peace possible. The use of this word is important, and now the Pakistani government is also using it in relation to the Ministry/Office for Religious Minorities and Social Harmony. Social harmony is linked to religious harmony. These two elements cannot be separated,” he emphasizes. “Harmony is very close to my heart because it means fraternity; it means working together for peaceful coexistence on this earth. This is a mission, a spiritual mission, that we as Christians in Pakistan continue to pursue despite all the challenges and difficulties, and which we hope will also have an impact at the political level,” he concludes. (PA) (Fides News Agency, 16/5/2026)
