by Shafique Khokhar

Born in India, he moved to Lahore with his family at a very young age. Over the years, he has fought for social justice, Christian rights and freedom of worship. He has been able to defuse feelings of ‘revenge’ even among Christians, as in the case of the assassination of Minister Bhatti and the Gojra massacre. Harmony and peace are the guiding principles of his episcopate.

Karachi (AsiaNews) - A staunch defender of interreligious dialogue in a predominantly Muslim country where Christians make up less than 2% of the population. He is the second cardinal in Pakistan's 78-year modern history.

Cardinal Joseph Coutts was born on 21 July 1945 in Amritsar, in the diocese of Jullundur (India), to parents originally from Goa, and for only two months he will be part of the college of electors of the new pope before reaching the age of 80. His father Peter was an officer with ICI Imperial Chemical Industries.

Together with his family, consisting of two sons and a daughter, he moved to Lahore, Pakistan, and grew up opposite the Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on a street now called Cecil Chaudhry Road.

Cardinal Joseph Coutts studied at St Anthony's High School, run by the Irish order of the Brothers of St Patrick, before continuing at St Mary's Seminary, also in Lahore, and completing his studies at Christ the King Seminary in Karachi.

The future cardinal was ordained a priest on 9 January 1971 for the clergy of Lahore. Elected Coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad on 5 May 1988, he was consecrated on 16 September of the same year, although the ceremony took place in Lahore due to tensions in the diocese.

On the evening of his ordination, Fr. Cyprian Dias was shot dead in the Catholic Colony in Karachi. On 1 September 1990, he succeeded as coadjutor bishop of Hyderabad. He was later transferred to Faisalabad (27 June 1998) and promoted to the metropolitan see of Karachi on 25 January 2012. Cardinal Coutts was Metropolitan Archbishop of Karachi until 11 February 2021 and president of the Bishops' Conference from 2011 until the end of 2017. Pope Francis created him cardinal in the consistory of 28 June 2018.

As a religious leader, he fought for tolerance and freedom of worship in Pakistan, where the majority of Christians are poor and have faced decades of discrimination and violence because of their faith and social class.

The cardinal served three dioceses - Hyderabad, Faisalabad and Karachi - where he always worked for social justice and to give voice to the fundamental rights of all human beings. Coutts always remained cool and calm even when the situation seemed to be getting worse, making wise decisions and handling even the most complicated situations with intelligence and integrity.

One of the most notable cases dates back to 2011 when Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's cabinet, was assassinated by Islamic extremists for defending, among others, Christian Asia Bibi, who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy.

After this tragic news, thousands of Christians from different parts of the diocese gathered at the bishop's residence, chanting slogans and threatening to take to the streets and block roads in anger and protest. They turned to the then Bishop Coutts to lead them. On that occasion, the cardinal addressed the crowd, asking them to remain calm and remember that, as followers of Christ, they should not act out of a desire for revenge.

Subsequently, a group of Muslim religious leaders visited the bishop to express their solidarity with the Christian community and assure them of their support at this difficult time.

All this happened thanks to the policy of ‘harmony’ of the future Cardinal Coutts, who always joined forces with other leaders to promote peace and brotherhood in the diocese. Under his leadership, the Catholic Church has always opened and pursued the path to peace in the region.

Even after Bhatti's assassination and the massacres in Gojra, where hundreds of Christian homes were set on fire by Islamic extremists, he always raised his voice against persecution. Muslim religious leader Pir Ibrahim and other members of various Islamic groups have always joined Bishop Coutts and expressed their solidarity and support.

Wherever he carried out his pastoral mission, the local Church progressed in a climate of harmony and dialogue between Muslims, Christians and other religions.

He spoke at meetings of the international community to defend the rights of the Christian community in Pakistan. Not only did he raise the problems of Christians, but he also provided solutions always in the spirit of harmony and peace, and even today, the dioceses of Faisalabad and Karachi have good relations with other religions.

Kashif Anthony, from Karachi, shares with AsiaNews his experience of working with Cardinal Coutts over the years, whom he describes as an ‘extraordinary prelate’ for the Catholic Church and ‘a resource for the Church in Pakistan. Working on the Interreligious Commission for Peace and Harmony, I learned a lot from him. He truly acted and served in all the dioceses according to his motto ‘Harmony’ and became one with all the faiths living together in Pakistan.’

Yousaf Benjamin, editor of Cyril News, adds: ‘Cardinal Joseph Coutts is widely recognised and honoured for his tireless efforts in promoting dialogue and understanding between different religious communities in Pakistan, particularly between Muslims and Christians.’

The cardinal, he continues, is a ‘staunch supporter of the rights of religious minorities’ and has spoken out ‘against the abuse of blasphemy laws and worked to ensure justice and equal rights for all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs.’ His legacy, he concludes, is ‘a dedicated service to promoting interreligious harmony, defending minority rights, promoting social welfare and building bridges between communities in Pakistan, which has earned him national and international recognition.’