Pakistan’s Christians welcome appointment of cardinal

Cardinals arrive to attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis with the imposition of the pallium upon the new Metropolitan Archbishops, a woolen shawl symbolizing their bond to the pope, during the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican on June 29, 2018. AP

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Christians have welcomed the elevation of Archbishop Joseph Coutts to cardinal.

Coutts, the 73-year-old archbishop of Karachi, was among 14 new cardinals appointed by Pope Francis at a ceremony on Thursday. He is only the second cardinal from Muslim-majority Pakistan, after Cardinal Joseph Cordero, who died in 1994.

Christians are a tiny minority in Pakistan, where they face discrimination and where they have been targeted by Islamic extremists.

Father Mario Rodrigues, a Christian community leader, says the appointment of Coutts is an honor for the nation and recognizes his promotion of inter-faith harmony. Father Amanat Yousuf says Coutts will be a bridge between Pakistan and the international community

Coutts would be eligible to vote in a conclave to select a new pope. /ee