Holy Week in Pakistan this year was set against a backdrop of the war on terror and suicide bombings. Workers at several Catholic institutions have died and many have lost their houses in recent bomb blasts. Price hikes are making it harder for the poor to meet their daily needs, and the country is experiencing major power shortages. With the country in the grip of these crises, low-profile Easter celebrations were scheduled in Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Lahore. Auxiliary Bishop Sebastian Shah asked Christians to keep their faith in God amid the warlike conditions in the country. In an article in a publication of the Lahore Archdiocese he wrote, “Let’s see how we can become a source of good news for the worried people of our times as we celebrate the feast of the glorious resurrection of Jesus in 2010.” And Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore wrote: “The feast of Easter brings us a message of hope and joy amid these difficult circumstances. In his resurrection from the dead, we celebrate the victory of light over darkness, life over death and hope over despair.”
Pakistan: Light Over Darkness
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Although overtly campaigning to be pope is discouraged and would be counterproductive, the cardinals do a lot of politicking in private prior to the conclave.
Pope Francis’ final moments were peaceful, and he managed to give one last farewell to his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, before slipping into a coma early April 21, Vatican News reported.
All of Pope Francis' gestures, meetings and desires for encounter were themselves a form of “teaching.” And L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics and their families have told me repeatedly what a difference this change in approach has meant.
Pope Francis was a great lover of literature: He peppered his homilies, talks and even encyclicals with literary references from Dostoyevsky, Proust, Hopkins, Dante and more, and he also encouraged his flock to read broadly and often.