Church leaders concerned over rise in violence in Pakistan, expresses solidarity

Faisalabad, Pakistan – Church leaders in Pakistan have expressed deep anguish over the recent rise in number of suicide bombings and bomb blasts in mosques and other religious places and have condemned the attacks that are seen as attempts to destabilize the nation.

“Pakistan has experienced number of suicide bombings and bomb blasts in mosques in the recent days,” Rev. Joseph Coutts, Bishop of Faisalabad, and Rev. Andrew Francis, Bishop of Multan, expressed recently. “Although we cannot say who is doing this, we must however say that these acts are inhuman and barbaric and we strongly condemn them,” they said.

Rising tensions between Shiites and Sunnis over the past few months have led to massacres in different Muslim places of worship and have claimed scores of victims. On October 10, a bomb exploded in a Shiite mosque in Lahore killing four people. On October 7, two bombs killed 41 people injuring more than 100 at a Sunni rally in Multan. On October 1, suicide bombers blew themselves up in the Shiite mosque in Sialkot leaving 31 people dead and 75 wounded.

As the representative of the Church, Bishop Andrew Francis attended the funerals of the Multan attack victims. He also visited their families to share their grief and sorrow.

Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad said that the government of Pakistan imposed a ban on all public meetings and religious gatherings. “This is affecting the church in a special way,” Bishop Coutts lamented. “Many conventions and public religious meetings are held throughout the country in the months of October and November and can last up to three days and these events are public expressions of our faith and have an important educational value in preparing Christians.”

Most parishes will still hold the events but they will be low key. Instead of congregating in public places or large open spaces, people will meet in churches.

“This will certainly reduce the number of faithful participating,” Bishop Coutts admitted, “but they will continue to pray, celebrate their faith and give witness to it.”