MULTAN, DIOCESE OF. — The mission of M. owes its origin to the Capuchin missionaries, who during and after the British occupation of the Punjab founded several stations with a church and residence for the military chaplain, including that of M. in 1859. It belonged to the diocese of Lahore until 1936, when (17 Dec.) it was separated from Lahore, erected as an apostolic prefecture, and entrusted to the Dominicans. On 20 July 1939 it was elevated to a suffragan diocese of the archdiocese of Delhi and Simla.
It has an area of 144,695 sq. km. and is situated in the southern part of the province of Punjab, in West Pakistan. On 15 July 1950, when the new ecclesiastical province of Karachi was erected for the jurisdictions existing in West Pakistan, it was made suffragan to the said metropolitan see.
According to approximate calculations, the total population numbers 10,026,000. There are 38,121 Catholics, in addition to 8,808 catechumens; approximately 60,000 Protestants; 30,000 animists and low-caste Hindus; the rest of the inhabitants profess the Muslim religion. It has 11 churches and 48 chapels, and 12 mission districts with a resident priest. Because of its recent foundation, the diocese has few, if any, canonically erected parishes or quasi-parishes. There are 22 missionaries, all Dominicans (16 Italians and 4 Indians), assisted by 14 Dominican sisters, 19 Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, and 9 Missionaries of the School. Charitable works comprise 1 hospital with 80 beds, 7 dispensaries, and 3 orphanages with 200 orphans. Instruction is provided in 14 elementary schools, almost all coeducational; 4 middle schools and an equal number of secondary schools (High Schools); 20 male teachers, 37 female teachers, and 56 catechists. The language spoken is Punjabi. The official language, however, and the only one taught in the schools, is Urdu. Pious associations and those of Catholic Action are still in an incipient state, and it is difficult to organize them because the faithful live for the most part scattered among numerous villages.