Bishop Coutts succeeds His Grace Most Reverend Archbishop Evarist Pinto, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father has been accepted, upon having reached the age limit.
The decision was communicated on Wednesday, January 25, the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle.
The papal appointment is a step up for Joseph Coutts from bishop to archbishop. To become one in Pakistan, one has to be named as either head of the church in either Karachi or Lahore, both of which are archdioceses.
Seventy-eight-year-old Archbishop Evarist Pinto sought retirement after exceeding the age limit for an archbishop by three years.
Born in Goa, India in 1933, Archbishop Pinto was ordained a priest in 1968. He was appointed an auxiliary bishop on February 17, 2000. On January 5, 2004, he was appointed the Archbishop of Karachi. A doctorate in Theology, Archbishop Pinto has written over 10 books.
Christian representative, Michael Javed, said that the community was sad that Archbishop Pinto was retiring but he contended that a church leader of a similar nature was coming to replace him.
“He was a true Christian leader. He worked for the oppressed and the needy among the flock,” Javed said.
Meanwhile, the new archbishop, 66-year-old Bishop Joseph Coutts was born in Amritsar on July 21, 1945, and was ordained in Lahore in 1971.
A spokesman for the Faisalabad Diocese, Father Khalid Asi, regretted that Bishop Coutts was busy with certain meetings and would not be available for the media till Saturday morning.
He said they were still waiting for the appointment of a Faisalabad bishop in his place.
Bishop Coutts received his training at Christ the King seminary in Karachi and was ordained a priest in Lahore on January 9, 1971.
He completed his ecclesiastical studies in Rome and then became a professor of philosophy at Christ the King in Karachi, rector of St. Mary’s Minor Seminary in Lahore and later a diocesan vicar general.
He was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad by Pope John Paul II on May 5, 1988. Bishop Coutts is also the national director of Caritas Pakistan.
During his 14-year tenure in Faisalabad, the bishop’s focus has been on promoting peace among religious sects. He played a pivotal role in bringing about peace on the eve of the riots in Gojra in which a number of houses of Christians were set on fire on July 31 and August 1 in 2009.
The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany awarded Bishop Coutts the 2007 Shalom Prize for his commitment to interfaith dialogue in Pakistan.
Bishop Coutts has been overwhelmed with offers of donations in kind from parish groups, as well as requests for aid from individual initiatives undertaken by nuns and priests who responded to the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005.
In 1998, he was appointed the Bishop of Faisalabad by Pope John Paul II in place of John Joseph who took his life protesting against the blasphemy law.
Talking about the new appointment, the adviser to the prime minister on national harmony, Paul Bhatti, welcomed the appointment, saying that he was a competent man to become the new Archbishop of Karachi. Paul Bhatti is the brother of the slain federal minister for minorities affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti.
He said that Bishop Coutts was very close to him, and after Bhatti’s assassination, he attended a conference in the Vatican where he spoke about the former minister. He even performed the funeral services for Shahbaz Bhatti. “He is a very kind-hearted man, and is very much involved in the community.”
There have been four local Archbishops of Karachi since 1958: Dr Joseph Cordeiro from 7 May 1958 to February 1994, Simeon Pereira from February 1994 to November 20, 2002, Evarist Pinto from January 5, 2004 to January 24, 2012. Apart from these four men, the only other clergyman to hold that position was James Cornelius van Miltenburg from May 20, 1948 to April 28, 1958.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2012.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO HIS GRACE ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH COUTTS
My heartiest congratulations go out to His Grace Reverend Joseph Coutts for becoming the new Archbishop of Karachi. On hearing the good news I felt extremely happy and proud that the Vatican has taken a right step in the right direction . His Grace Joe Coutts (as I have always known him) is a man of great integrity and commitment, and I’m sure that as he fought for human rights as Bishop of Faisalabad , he will achieve greater success as Archbishop of Karachi. I have known His Grace, Joe Coutts from my school days, where we use to study together in St. Anthony’s High School, Lawrence Road, Lahore. Before I migrated to Canada, I was the Principal of this very school and met His Grace on a number of occasions. In these very trouble days of Pakistan, we certainly need such a committed person as Reverend Joe Coutts at the helm of the Christian affairs. I wholeheartedly pray for his success, not only for the Christian community, but also for the whole of Pakistan .I would like to congratualate his Excellency Most Reverend Joseph Coutts, Bishop of Faisalabad, as the new Archbishop of Karachi. I hope his leadership will provide tranquility and peace in Pakistani society. Christians like any other people of faith have sacrificed immensly for this country; their affilation and love for Pakistan is beyond doubt. I hope his Ecellency will provide leadership that is dire need for this country.
Syed.
Congrats.