Bishop Indrias Rehmat is the new bishop of Faisalabad: We must rienforce education

The prelate is a man of culture: he was deputy director of the Major Seminary in Karachi and dean of the National Catholic Theology Institute.  He will be consecrated in September.  Local priest: "We hope that he will convince Christians to attend school.  Otherwise they will remain lifelong scavengers”.

Lahore (AsiaNews) - “The news of my election totally came as a surprise. I want to work together with everyone. My top priority right now is to know what is happening in our diocese and how to implement my vision,” Bishop-elect Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad told AsiaNews, reacting to his appointment as the new bishop of Faisalabad in Punjab province. “There is a dire need of the formation of our community. Besides academic education, practical education is also important. Human values can wash away the stigma of corruption.” 

Pope Francis named the new bishop on June 29. The 52 years old replaces Archbishop Joseph Arshad who was transferred to Islamabad-Rawalpindi Diocese in December 2017. Special prayers were offered in cathedrals around the country this Sunday (June 30) for the Bishop-elect who was serving as the vice rector of Christ the King, Major Seminary, in Karachi Archdiocese.

Bishop-elect Rehmat was born on July 1, 1966 in Chak (Village) No 8/1-L of Okara District in Faisalabad diocese. His father served as a catechist in the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul where he also served as an altar boy. 

After studying in St. Albert High School of Gojra city, he joined St. Thomas the Apostle Minor Seminary in Faisalabad in 1982. Ten years later (on Sept. 25, 1992) he was ordained a priest and later started his pastoral work in Chak 424. 

He completed his doctorate in moral theology in six years from Rome. The author of many books has also served as parish priest in Karachi Archdiocese. In 2015, he was appointed the Academic Dean of the National Catholic Institute of Theology. His episcopal ordination will be held in September at the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Faisalabad. 

“We thank God for many vocations. Ten young me joined the St. Pius X Minor Seminary of Karachi last week. Now we have 30 minor seminarians and 72 in Christ the King Major Seminary, both formation houses are overcrowded.”

The appointment has spread cheers in the diocese that was left vacant for almost two years. In view of Father Bonnie Mendes former Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, the good news took too long. 

“All the candidates were available. Still we are very happy,” he said.  

“I am pretty sure our new bishop will find the land fertile for vocations. He has a thrust for the word of God and a desire to strengthen the Church. The focus must be on youth which is 64 percent of us, the largest number of the youth in our history. The deprived women of religious minorities also need more confidence to play a bigger role in the growth of the country in all fields including business, politics and social sector.”

Aneel Mushtaq Executive Secretary Caritas Pakistan Faisalabad also welcomed the bishop elect. “We hope the good work will continue in our diocese. It is time to strengthen the departments especially the church run schools,” he said.

Former Capuchin Superior Father Abid Habib expressed his best wishes for the “humble person who mostly keeps calm and is easy to work with.”
“I presume he has to work a lost in motivating men to get education. Our Christian slums are notorious for being colonies of sanitary workers. Church leaders have to work hard to pull the community out of of this business of cleaning streets.”