Karachi: solemn funeral mass for Archbishop Pereira, "modern Moses"
The bishops of six dioceses , the apostolic nuncio and thousands of believers attended the funeral mass of the archbishop emeritus of Karachi. The deceased bishop was buried alongside the first Pakistani cardinal, Mgr Cordeiro, who had been his tutor and friend.
Karachi (AsiaNews/DT) The archbishop emeritus of Karachi was "one of the best shepherds of the country, a modern Moses", whose work "contributed to strengthening the faith of local Catholics" said Fr Robert D'Silva. He was speaking at the start of the funeral mass of Mgr Simeon Anthony Pereira, which took place yesterday in St Patrick's Cathedral in Karachi. The cathedral was crowded with thousands of believers who came from all across the country for the mass.
The bishops of Hyderabad, Multan, Faisalabad, Quetta and Islamabad were present at the ceremony as was the Vatican Apostolic Nuncio in Pakistan, Mgr Adolfo Yllana, who read a message of condolence from the Holy See. Over 20 religious orders of the diocese attended the ceremony.
The bishop's coffin was carried on the shoulders of six scouts and was blessed by Mgr Evarist Pinto, current archbishop of Karachi, who described his predecessor as a "man who chose to serve God with his life and who made respect for life his mission." He added: "His death saddens all who knew him. We have lost an excellent shepherd."
During the mass, youth from the diocese sang the choruses in Urdu and English: one of the main objectives of the deceased bishop was precisely to create a liturgy in the traditional language of Pakistan to help youth approach the Gospel.
At the end of the funeral, the bishop's coffin was laid to rest next to Archbishop Joseph Cordeiro, who was the first cardinal of Pakistan; Bishop Pereira had been his pupil and friend.
The archbishop emeritus passed away on 21 August aged 78 after he suffered a heart attack. He retired in 2002 but remained very active in diocesan pastoral work.
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12/04/2021 16:35
24/02/2022 16:54
