Pakistan
The new Archbishop of Lahore chooses the path of closeness: visiting a grieving family becomes a tangible sign of the spiritual work of mercy of comforting the afflicted
A visit that becomes a pastoral sign
In Pakistan, mercy is not an abstract word but a simple gesture: entering a grieving home and sharing its pain. This is what the new Archbishop of Lahore, Msgr Khalid Rehmat, did in the first days of his ministry, when he chose to visit a Catholic family enduring great suffering.
As Fides reports, the Archbishop decided to visit the parents of Iftkhar Masihi, a young Catholic who was found hanged on 26 March while in police custody in the Kahna district of Lahore.
Not an official ceremony, but a meeting in the family home, marked by listening, prayer and closeness. A clear sign: the shepherd walks first and foremost beside those who suffer.
The hidden suffering of Pakistani Christians
Pakistan’s Christian community often experiences situations of social vulnerability, discrimination and economic insecurity.
In this context, the Archbishop’s visit takes on profound meaning. The family he met represents many other lives marked by illness, poverty or isolation.
The Bishop’s presence thus becomes a Gospel response to loneliness: the Church does not watch from afar but enters the wounds of history, sharing tears and hope.
Comforting the afflicted: a concrete work of mercy
Among the spiritual works of mercy, comforting the afflicted is perhaps one of the quietest and, at the same time, one of the most necessary. To comfort does not mean offering immediate solutions, but remaining close, recognising the dignity of suffering and remembering that no one is forgotten by God.
By praying with the family and offering words of encouragement, the Archbishop made visible the compassionate face of the Gospel: a Church that listens before speaking and heals through closeness.
The Church that remains close and does not abandon
This gesture speaks of something essential for the whole universal Church. In a world marked by wars, migration and social crises, the Christian mission increasingly takes shape through concrete relationships.
Comforting the afflicted means building hope where it seems to be fading. The pastoral visit in Lahore reminds us that mercy is not born in great events, but in homes and grieving families, in places where someone is simply waiting not to be left alone. It is there that the Gospel continues to become life.
Source: Agenzia Fides (31 March 2026)
Image by Basil Minhaj on Unsplash
