Pakistan cardinal appeals for prayers ahead of Conclave

Cardinal Joseph Coutts © ACN

Cardinal Joseph Coutts - one of Aid to the Church in Need's longest-serving project partners in Pakistan - has issued an impassioned plea for prayers ahead of next week's conclave. In a video message received today (Friday), shortly after he arrived in Rome, the former Archbishop of Karachi, who was created cardinal by Pope Francis in June 2018, stressed that now is "the critical time" for prayers for the conclave.

He said: "Now that many cardinals - more than 100 cardinals - from all over the world have gathered here in Rome, the time is coming close when we will go into the conclave to vote for the new pope."

Cardinal Coutts, who is less than three months away from his 80th birthday and as such is just young enough to vote in the conclave, said: "This is a very critical time and this is the time when we need your prayers...

"Remember, it is not only the cardinals but the cardinals with the Church and we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And that's why when we go into the conclave we spend a lot of time in prayer and silence and meditation so that the Holy Spirit may guide us to choose another good leader in the place of St Peter."

"So it is not just a worldly election, it is an election for the head of the Church of Jesus Christ so we need your prayers. Please pray for us so that we may be guided on the right path to choose a new Pope. Thank you."

Cardinal Coutts has worked closely with ACN for decades, especially in the more than 30 years he served as a diocesan bishop in Pakistan, first in Hyderabad Diocese, then in Faisalabad before his elevation to Karachi Archdiocese in 2012.

He has travelled to many national offices of ACN around the world, championing the cause of persecuted and other suffering Christians - and promoting inter-faith dialogue and understanding.

The cardinal, the recipient of numerous awards for his commitment to inter-faith relations, peace and harmony, was in March given the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) by Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, for his life-long contribution to inter-religious dialogue, social welfare and the protection of minority rights in the country.

LINKS

See Cardinal Coutt's video message at www.youtube.com/shorts/SG3ecIe6woo

Aid to the Church in Need: www.acnuk.org