04/23/2005, 00.00
PAKISTAN - VATICAN
Send to a friend

Prayers and good will for the new Pope

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – The election of Pope Benedict XVI elicited great joy in the whole of Pakistan with many people celebrating by giving away sweetmeat and candies.

The mass media broadcast the event live as masses were said in Catholic churches.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf welcomed the new Pope Benedict XVI.

Speaking with journalists in Manila where he is on a visit he said the new Pontiff will have an important role to play in bridging the social and cultural divide between the West and Islam.

In the diocese of Faisalabad, Bishop Joseph Coutts joined the faithful in celebrating the event handing out sweetmeats and singing thanksgiving hymns.

"We are grateful to God for a Pope full of wisdom," Bishop Coutts said, "and pray for his health".

Mgr. Evarist Pinto, Archbishop of Karachi, also expressed his joy for the election of the new Pontiff.

"I am certain that he will continue the work of the unforgettable John Paul II. With his excellent gifts of mind and heart he will be able to meet the challenges of today's secularistic world."

"We in the Archdiocese of Karachi pledge our loyalty to the See of Peter," he added.

Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus, said that the new Pope "should focus on the unity, strength, and solidarity among Christians all over the world and [. . .] continue the mission of Pope John Paul II, especially [in terms of] inter-faith harmony and [. . .] dialogue between the different religions of the world." (QF)

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Pope talks about the Middle East, the Holy Land and the food crisis with Bush
13/06/2008
Catholic music to promote dialogue in Ambon, the city of sectarian violence
17/10/2018 13:29
In the face and words of the Pope the humility of Christ, says Bishop of Mosul
26/04/2005
Large numbers of South Koreans attend mass for Benedict XVI
26/04/2005
National Commission for Women asks for 'immediate action' in the nun rape case in Kerala
07/02/2019 17:28


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”