Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vicariato Apostolico di Quetta
Quetta (Fides News Agency) – Christians in Balochistan live and bear witness to their faith in Christ in the spirit of love, building bridges between different population groups: This was stated by Msgr. Sebastian Shaw OFM, Apostolic Vicar of Quetta, the capital of the Pakistani province of Balochistan in western Pakistan, to Fides. Archbishop Shaw assumed his new post in the Vicariate of Quetta, which encompasses Pakistan's largest province (44% of the country's territory), on March 24, following his tenure as Archbishop of Lahore, Punjab.
"The Vicariate is the largest ecclesiastical district in Pakistan in terms of area, but at the same time, it is also the poorest and has the smallest number of Catholics," he noted.
“The approximately 35,000 faithful, divided into nine communities, live scattered throughout a society of about 15 million inhabitants, comprised of roughly 55% Baloch and 35% Pashtuns, alongside Hazaras, Punjabis, and other minorities who share the Islamic faith,” reports Archbishop Shaw, who points out that the province borders Afghanistan and Iran and is experiencing severe instability. Balochistan is heavily scarred by violence as the separatist insurgency, led by groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army and other independence fighters, continues. Terrorist and sectarian groups are also active, carrying out attacks on security forces and infrastructure. The Pakistani central government is accused of exploiting the region's natural resources without initiating local development programs. “The poverty rate is extremely high, the level of education extremely low, especially among women, illiteracy is widespread, and access to healthcare and basic services is poor,” says the Archbishop, who also points to the stark gap between urban areas like the city of Quetta and rural, mountainous, or desert regions, which are far more underdeveloped.
“The mission of the small Catholic community in this particular situation, marked by ethnic pluralism, violence, and poverty in an almost exclusively Islamic context, is to build bridges and unite people in a spirit of fraternity and mutual acceptance,” he says.
“This is the mission that Jesus Christ entrusted to us: to love God, to love one another, and to love our neighbors, everyone we meet,” he emphasizes. The bishop told Fides: “We have 19 priests and 18 nuns in the Vicariate and, with the help of lay catechists, provide pastoral care and social services. Children of all languages and ethnicities attend our schools. Through education, children from all parts of the country, from different communities, meet and learn to live together peacefully. We also support the police in emergencies and in cases of poverty through Caritas.”
The Apostolic Vicar emphasizes the role of catechists, “which is very important because they are our pioneers, often traveling to remote areas to visit families and proclaim the Gospel,” he notes. And where violence erupts in society, he says, “we try to be an instrument of peace, but we remain cautious. As Saint Paul says: Whenever the opportunity arises, we take it; we bear witness to peace and reconciliation.”
“This year we commemorate the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi,” recalls Bishop Shaw, who belongs to the Order of Friars Minor. “In Balochistan, we follow the life and the simple way of Saint Francis, who said that when there is a need to preach, we preach; but normally, in daily life, our presence alone is already a sign of faith, hope, and charity, a sign of the presence of Christ.”
The local Church is in urgent need of clergy, so the bishop invites religious orders, both men and women, to establish themselves in the Vicariate: “Given the difficult conditions in the region, this decision is not easy for them. But I say: Do not be afraid, listen to the call of the Holy Spirit. The people of Balochistan expect you to make Christ’s mission present and to fulfill it.” (PA) (Fides News Agency, 22/5/2025)
