Karachi, Archdiocese of

KARACHI, ARCHDIOCESE OF. - In western Pakistan. The mission, taken over by the Franciscans of the Dutch province in 1932, began in 1935 with a certain dependence (out of regard for the Portuguese patronage) on the archbishop of Bombay. It was erected as a diocese, by separation from the archdiocese of Bombay, of which it was declared a suffragan by decree dated 20 May 1948, and entrusted to the Order of Friars Minor. On 15 July 1950, when an ecclesiastical province was erected for the entire territory of western Pakistan, the diocese of K. was elevated to an archdiocese with the dioceses of Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi as suffragans.

It measures 262,000 sq km and comprises the civil provinces of Baluchistan and Sind. It borders on Afghanistan, Iran, the archdiocese of Bombay and the dioceses of Ahmedabad, Multan and Ajmer. It has a population of 7,500,000 inhabitants, of whom 200,000 are pagans, 3,000 Protestants and 25,000 Catholics. The missionary personnel consists of 44 foreign Franciscans and 15 indigenous secular priests; 7 lay brothers; 82 sisters of various institutes, about forty of whom are indigenous; 21 catechists. The archdiocese has 8 districts, 16 parishes and 26 secondary stations; 2 churches and 18 chapels.

Teaching is entrusted to a body of 250 teachers: 195 masters and 55 mistresses, with a total of about 2,000 children in the elementary schools, 650 students in the middle schools and 4,000 in the higher schools, 40 in the vocational schools.

There is no seminary, and young men who wish to become priests are sent to the Pontifical Seminary of Kandy or to the major Seminary of Mangalore. There is a theological and philosophical studentate for the formation of religious with about 20 clerics. The works of charity consist of 7 hospitals with 101 beds, 4 dispensaries with an average of 40,000 consultations a year, 3 orphanages with 221 orphans, 12 almshouses with 25 inmates.

The metropolitan city of K. is the capital of the new State of Pakistan and the seat of the central government, and also the seat of the apostolic delegation erected by brief of 17 July 1950. The pious associations and those of Catholic Action are flourishing. The following periodicals are published: Dor Munianti Rotti and Catholic Chronicle, with a fair circulation.

Pompeo Borgna