ASIA/PAKISTAN - Jubilee Year: in the diocese of Multan there is hope for education

Multan (Agenzia Fides) - Among the Catholic population of southern Punjab, in the diocese of Multan, the hope that is nurtured in the Jubilee Year is to have concrete educational opportunities, says Father Jamshed Gill (OP), for many years director of the Pastoral Institute of Multan and now General Councilor for the Asia-Pacific Region of the Dominican Order, to Fides. In one of the largest cities in Pakistan, with more than 1.2 million inhabitants, about half of the more than 80,000 Catholics are destitute and live in the countryside or are among the "poor" who live in the slums on the outskirts of the city. In January, the Catholic community celebrated the solemn inauguration of the Holy Year in the Cathedral of Multan: "It is a Jubilee Year of personal renewal and faith," said Bishop Yousef Sohan. The presence of many young people and students from the diocese's schools at the celebration drew particular attention to education. "To restore hope to people and thus opportunities for development and growth, the first step is to work in the field of education," explained Father Gill, recalling that "the diocese is doing its best to support Catholic schools in the city and in rural villages, but the lack of resources limits the possibilities," he noted. The Dominicans run a school and a boarding school in Bahawalpur, which is part of the diocese. "But many families cannot afford the fees, even though they are low, so the children are not sent to school," he reports. There are also boarding schools that charge higher fees, which is why in this case "only middle-class families, almost exclusively Muslims, benefit from these schools." The disadvantaged are therefore "precisely the poorest Christian families, unable to break out of the vicious circle of economic and also educational poverty," the religious observes. The pastoral plan of the diocese, launched by the new bishop, states that he will give priority to the education of Catholics. Bishop Sohan, who took office two years ago, wants to strengthen the school sector by opening more schools and supporting and improving existing ones. The diocese directly runs 27 schools that provide education to thousands of children and young people in urban and rural areas. "In the Jubilee Year, special attention will be paid to this commitment: to make hope a reality in people's lives, the whole community can try to do more in this area and the faithful, the poorest and most marginalized, will welcome it and recognize it as a gift from the Lord," he concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 18/2/2024)

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