Pope Francis has named Capuchin Father Khalid Rehmat as the brand new vicar apostolic of Quetta in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province.
The Vatican introduced the appointment on Jan. 1, making some native Catholics name it a New 12 months present from Pope Francis.
Catholics worldwide took to social media to congratulate the bishop-elect.
“The New 12 months 2021 is begun with nice blessing within the type of the nomination of Rev. Fr. Khalid Rehmat, the current custos, because the bishop-elect of Quetta Apostolic Vicariate,” stated a social media put up from St. Francis of Assisi Urdu Church in Antwerp, Belgium.
Most members of the Antwerp-based parish are migrants from Pakistan and communicate Urdu, their nationwide language.
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Father Khalid is “the primary Pakistani Capuchin priest to be nominated as a bishop in Pakistan. God bless you, pricey bishop-elect,” stated their put up.
Bishop-elect Rehmat was born in 1968 in Islamabad-Rawalpindi Diocese. He made the solemn occupation of a Capuchin priest in 2007.
Since 2018, he has been editor of Lahore Archdiocese’s bimonthly journal Catholic Naqeeb (herald).
He succeeds the late Bishop Victor Gnanapragasam, who based the apostolic prefecture of Quetta. The Sri Lankan missionary died on Dec. 12, 2020.
The appointment of Father Rehmat “is a constructive step ahead for the Pakistani Church,” stated Father Bonnie Mendes, former govt secretary of the Catholic bishops’ Nationwide Fee for Justice and Peace.
“A foreigner can not communicate up for the rights of the poor,” Father Mendes stated, including {that a} foreigner’s pondering might be “alien to native tradition. I assist him.”
Nonetheless, Father Rehmat ought to study the native languages of Baluchi and Pushto instantly. “The native medium is vital to talk to the folks of Baluchistan,” Father Mendes informed UCA Information.
Capuchin Father Morris Jalal, the founder and govt director of Catholic TV, stated the papal determination fits the missionary Diocese of Quetta.
The mission of Quetta was given to the Oblates in 1982 by the southern Diocese of Hyderabad. It now goes to Capuchins with the appointment of a Capuchin as its head.
“Non secular congregations can run a missionary diocese higher. Father Rehmat is an all-rounder with experiences of each as a pastor and a media individual,” Father Jalal stated.
The bishop-elect additionally served as rector of Capuchin Formation Home in Lahore and a instructor at St Mary’s Minor Seminary, the Franciscan clergymen’ formation home.
He was additionally a member of the School of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Lahore and Archdiocesan Biblical Fee. He was the Pakistani Capuchins’ Financial Fee coordinator. He was additionally a member of the Provincial Council of the Capuchins till October 2020.
The bishop-elect additionally has pastoral expertise as parish priest of Our Girl of Mount Carmel in Adah, Sialkot, within the Archdiocese of Lahore.
In November, he was elected custos of the Capuchins in Pakistan in an election held on-line for the primary time because of the coronavirus pandemic.
