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Joseph Coutts

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His Eminence

Joseph Coutts

HI
Cardinal, Archbishop emeritus of Karachi
Coutts holding a candle
Coutts in 2016
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
ArchdioceseKarachi
Appointed25 January 2012
Term ended11 April 2021
PredecessorEvarist Pinto
SuccessorBenny Mario Travas
Other post(s)Cardinal Priest of San Bonaventura da Bagnoregio (2018–present)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination9 January 1971
by Felicissimus Alphonse Raeymaeckers
Consecration16 September 1988
by Bonaventure Patrick Paul
Created cardinal28 June 2018
by Pope Francis
RankCardinal priest
Personal details
Born (1945-07-21) 21 July 1945 (age 79)
Amritsar, British India
NationalityPakistani
ParentsPedro Jose Couto
Alma materSt. Anthony High School, Lahore
MottoHarmony
SignatureJoseph Coutts's signature
Styles of
Joseph Coutts
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal
SeeKarachi
Ordination history of
Joseph Coutts
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained byFelicissimus Alphonse Raeymaeckers
Date9 January 1971
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorBonaventure Patrick Paul
Co-consecrators
  • Armando Trindade
  • Emanuele Gerada
Date16 September 1988
PlaceSacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore
Cardinalate
Elevated byPope Francis
Date28 June 2018

Joseph Coutts (born 21 July 1945) is a Pakistani prelate of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Karachi from 2012 to 2021. He served as Bishop of Faisalabad from 1998 to 2012.

Pope Francis created Coutts a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

Biography

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Coutts was born in Amritsar, British India on 21 July 1945 in a Goan family. His father Pedro Jose Couto was from Aldona, a village in North Goa, and the family's home was at Ucassaim. Anil Joseph Thomas Couto, Archbishop of Delhi, is his first cousin. Coutts can speak several languages including English, Italian, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi.[1][2] He received his religious training at the Christ the King seminary in Karachi and was ordained a priest in Lahore, Pakistan, on 9 January 1971.[3]

After ordination, he completed ecclesiastical studies in Rome from 1973 to 1976 and then became professor of philosophy and sociology at Christ the King Regional Seminary, Karachi, rector of St. Mary's Minor Seminary, Lahore, and diocesan vicar general from 1986 to 1988.[3]

On 5 May 1988 he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad in Pakistan by Pope John Paul II and consecrated a bishop on 16 September.[citation needed] He chose as his episcopal motto the word Harmony.[4] He became Bishop of Hyderabad on 1 September 1990.[1] On 27 June 1998 he was appointed Bishop of Faisalabad.

Coutts is the longtime Chairman of Caritas Pakistan and directed its earthquake relief efforts in 2005.[5]

In Faisalabad he developed ties with Muslim scholars and clerics.[3] The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany, awarded Bishop Coutts the 2007 Shalom Prize for his commitment to interfaith dialogue in Pakistan. For 25 years, the award has been given to people and projects working for human rights.[6]

On 25 January 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Coutts as Archbishop of Karachi to succeed Archbishop Evarist Pinto.[7][8] Anticipating his return to the city where he had studied and taught, he stressed the challenges posed by the city's refugee-driven population explosion and the "sporadic bursts of violence and terrorism" that had become a feature of life in Karachi.[3]

In both Faisalabad and Karachi, he has campaigned against Pakistan's blasphemy law, which he believes is too easily manipulated for personal attacks or to target religious minorities for insubstantial or pretended offenses.[9][10] In Karachi he has established multiple connections for inter-religious dialog between Muslims and Catholics, aiming at both acceptance by the general population and increased understanding on the part of political and religious leaders.[4]

Coutts was hospitalized with pneumonia and unable to travel to Rome to receive his pallium, the symbol of his status as a metropolitan archbishop, from Pope Benedict in June 2012.[5]

He was president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference from 2011 to 2017.[1][11] Pope Francis created Coutts a cardinal priest in the consistory of 28 June 2018, assigning him the titular church of San Bonaventura da Bagnoregio. He became the country's second cardinal after Joseph Cordeiro (1918–1994) who was also of Goan origin.[12][13]

He is a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.[14]

On 9 January 2021, he celebrated 50 years of his priestly ordination by celebrating Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral.[15] His resignation as Archbishop of Karachi was accepted on 11 February 2021.[16]

On August 14, 2024, the President of Pakistan awarded Coutts the Hilal-i-Imtiaz.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Annuncio di Concistoro il 29 giugno per la creazione di nuovi Cardinali, 20.05.2018" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  2. ^ Goan origin archbishop Joseph Coutts appointed cardinal by Pope. Its Goa.
  3. ^ a b c d Khokhar, Shafique (27 January 2012). "Multiethnic Karachi, a challenge for Mgr Coutts in his new mission". AsiaNews. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  4. ^ a b Affatato, Paolo (22 May 2018). "Harmony bearer Joseph Coutts, new Cardinal in Pakistan". La Stampa. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b O'Connell, Gerard (28 June 2012). "Coutts, the passionate advocate of peace and dialogue". La Stampa. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012.
  6. ^ "Bishop of Faisalabad awarded the Shalom Prize for 2007". AsiaNews. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 25.01.2012" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  8. ^ Speciale, Alessandro (25 January 2012). "Pope names new archbishop of Karachi". UCANews. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Pakistani Christians: Second-Class Citizens?". Zenit. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Archbishop of Karachi: Blasphemy law causes problems for both Christians and Muslims". Rome Reports. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Archbishop of Karachi Joseph Coutts to be elevated as cardinal". Express Tribune. 20 May 2018.
  12. ^ D'Emilio, Frances (28 June 2018). "Pope, making new cardinals, hears Iraqi tell of martyrs". Fox News. Associated Press. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Concistoro Ordinario Pubblico: Assegnazione dei Titoli, 28.06.2018" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  14. ^ Vatican website Accessed April 17, 2021
  15. ^ Agenza Fides, January 9, 2021
  16. ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 11.02.2021" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  17. ^ Tribune August 14, 2024
Additional resources
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Joseph Coutts.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joseph Coutts.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Hyderabad
1 September 1990 – 27 June 1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Faisalabad
27 June 1998 – 25 January 2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Archbishop of Karachi
25 January 2012 – 11 April 2021 		Succeeded by
New title Cardinal-Priest of San Bonaventura da Bagnoregio
28 June 2018 – present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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