Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Joseph Coutts as Archbishop of Karachi on Saturday. He succeeds Archbishop Evarist Pinto who resigned after reaching the age of 75.
Coutts was born on July 21, 1945 in Amritsar, British India. Coutts received his religious training at the Christ the King seminary in Karachi and was ordained a priest in Lahore, Pakistan on 9 January 1971.
After ordination, he completed ecclesiastical studies in Rome and then became professor of philosophy at Christ the King Regional Seminary, Karachi, rector of St Mary’s Minor Seminary, Lahore and later diocesan vicar general.
On May 5, 1988, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad in Pakistan by Pope John Paul II. On June 27, 1998, he was appointed Bishop of Faisalabad. Coutts is also Caritas Pakistan National Director.
The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany awarded Coutts the 2007 Shalom Prize for his commitment to interfaith dialogue in Pakistan. During the last 25 years, the award has been given to people and projects working for human rights.
Joseph Coutts new Archbishop of Karachi
