News
Monday, November 21, 2011
Megachurch rises in Karachi
* St Peter’s is same size as Karachi’s imposing British-era cathedral, St Patrick’s, but it can accommodate many more worshippers
KARACHI: The Christian community in Pakistan thought big when constructing its latest church - a domed, three-story building that towers over the sprawling slum it serves and is the largest in the Muslim country.
St Peter’s of Karachi opened its doors this month and can fit around 5,000 people. The church took 11 months to build and cost $3.8 million, raised from local donations and from Roman Catholics around the world, said Father Saleh Diego. It was built on the site of a smaller church in Azam Basti district, a jumble of lanes and simple brick houses that is home to around 15,000 Christians.
“There were so many people here it was not possible for us to accommodate them on Sundays. Some were sitting at the back, some in the corner, some on the terrace,” said Diego. “Now we can pray together, all 5,000 people, worship the Lord and really share and strengthen our faith.”
Pakistani towns and cities are dotted with striking churches dating back to the 19th century, when the subcontinent was ruled by Britain. Newer churches do get built, especially by Protestant and evangelical groups, but are smaller, single-room affairs.
In Pakistan, Christians account for between 3 percent and 5 percent of the country’s 180 million people, split approximately equally between Roman Catholics and Protestants. There are even smaller numbers of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.
St Peter’s is roughly the same size as Karachi’s imposing British-era cathedral, St Patrick’s. But it can accommodate many more worshippers because they sit on the floor, not on benches as is common in churches visited by wealthier Pakistanis like St Patrick’s.
The church is a simple rectangular building, adorned with arches and dozens of Gothic spires. Dozens of stained-glass windows depict the sufferings of Jesus Christ, while the walls inside are painted shiny white with large frescos. On a recent evening, many hundreds flocked to the church, where several young girls were being confirmed.
Dressed in their best clothes, the worshippers took off their shoes — which, like sitting on the floor, is an Islamic custom adopted by some churches here — before walking inside. They sang hymns to the accompaniment of a piano and a ‘dhol’, a traditional drum.
Outside, conversation turned to the predicament facing the community.
When Pakistan achieved independence in 1947, the country’s leaders envisaged a liberal Muslim state that protected minority rights, even if the constitution has always prevented Christians from becoming prime minister or president. But groups have steadily gained ground, pushing through laws that have marginalised minorities.
Over the past 10 years, the rise of al Qaeda and Taliban terrorism has made Christians a frequent target of bombings and shootings, along with other non-Sunni Muslims. In March this year, terrorists shot and killed Shahbaz Bhatti, the sole Christian minister in the government, for his campaign to modify blasphemy laws used to persecute Christians. “Most of my friends are Muslims and we dine out. I never feel discriminated against,” he said. ap
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk