Self–reliance, our next challenge, says Catholic Church in Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan – The Catholic Church in Pakistan have identified that self–reliance, in terms of funding and personnel, is the next challenge faced by them.

At the end of a meeting that involved intensive workshop sessions and discussions, the Major Superiors and Bishops of the country said that “after 150 years as a local Church, we should depend less on foreign resources and rely more on our own”. Titled ‘Towards a Self – Supporting Church’, the two–day meeting was held in Lahore in November.

Like many Churches in the developing world, the Catholic Church in Pakistan is also very dependent on foreign funding and personnel for its work. No doubt there have been many areas of growth and development at the local level, but the Bishops felt that much more needed to be done to accelerate the pace.

One of the key points that came out of the discussions was the need to simplify the life–style of the clergy and religious so that it is more in line with the needs of the people.

Rev. Joseph Coutts, Vice President of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Sister Helen McAlister, Provincial Superior of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, were present at the meeting.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan, Archbishop Alessandro D’Errico, presided at the concluding Eucharist. In his homily, the Nuncio praised the efforts of the local Church in taking this important step towards self–reliance.