Pakistani protestant officials are appreciating Pope Francis for marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden this past week.
"Personally I appreciate the Pope for bridging the gaps of centuries.
It is a very big step for ecumenical movement", Anglican orthodox Bishop
Earnest Jacob of Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, told AsiaNews.
"Pew Research Center predicts that Islam will overtake Christianity
by the end of the century. We cannot afford to stay divided. Christians
of Pakistan are already in minority and we have common mixed marriages
between Catholics and Protestants. Especially Church leaders in
conflicted regions like our city (which has been frequently targeted by
Taliban) hold joint celebrations, press conferences and funerals (post
Taliban attacks) to send a message to the terrorists".
Bishop Jacob's comments echoed the joint declaration of Francis with
Bishop Munib A. Younan, the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Jordan.
"At the same time, we have drawn closer to one another through joint
service to our neighbours – often in circumstances of suffering and
persecution. Through dialogue and shared witness we are no longer
strangers", it states.
Protestants in Pakistan are largely represented by Church of
Pakistan; the denomination that includes Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran
and Church of Scotland merged in one in 1970.
There is no Lutheran
Bishop in Islamic Republic, according to Victor Azariah General
Secretary National Council of Churches in Pakistan.
www.nccpakistan.org.pk
"Jesus created no denomination and only talked of the good news.
Stronger factions later became part of our religion. Francis'
predecessors also supported Christian brotherhood but he is seriously
interested in ecumenical dialogue. We welcome the extraordinary events
of this week, people should follow and understand its meaning for the
Church", he said.
Azariah also referred to joint movement against nationalization of
Church properties and Youhanabad, the biggest Christian settlement in
country, as prime example of Christian unity in Pakistan.
All Churches protested when the government nationalized Christian
schools and colleges in Punjab and Sindh provinces in 1972. It later
denationalized them between 1985 and 1995 without offering any
compensation.
Similarly Azariah aided Father Henri, a Belgian
missionary, in purchasing land and setting up Youhanabad, which is home
to a mix community of more than 100,000 Catholics and Protestant.