The Christian community in Rawalpindi celebrated Christmas with great zeal and enthusiasm. Special services and prayers were held at churches, gifts were exchanged, cake-cutting ceremonies were held and families reunited to celebrate the day.
As part of the celebrations, all major city churches including Cathedral Church, Lalkurti, and Protestant Church at Mall Road, Saint Anthony Church in Satellite Town, Saint Joseph's Cathedral Church in Dhoke Syedan, Cathedral Church Chakra, Cathedral Church Hanif Colony and Saint Mary's Church in Sher Zaman Colony were decorated with colourful lights.
On the occasion, special prayers were also offered for the progress and prosperity of the country. Archbishop Dr Joseph Arshad said the Christmas event symbolised a significant truth of spiritual life, adding that the prophet Jesus was born at a time when ignorance, superstition, greed, hatred, and hypocrisy prevailed upon the land.
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While congratulating the Christian community on Christmas, Dr Joseph urged them to follow and promote the teachings of Christ for peace, tranquillity, and security and renew their pledge to play a role in the development and prosperity of their beloved homeland.
He said the Christian community worships freely at Churches with full unity and security, for which he thanked the government. Moreover, he appreciated the district administration for foolproof security at churches during Christmas. Additionally, a special ceremony to mark Christmas was held at the Catholic Church of Lal Kurti, which was also attended by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha.
Christmas was celebrated peacefully due to foolproof security arrangements on the eve of Christmas. According to a police spokesman, 5,000 police personnel were deployed in the city while additional deployments were ensured at churches and public places to avoid any untoward incident. app
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2023.
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