Archbishop of Canterbury visits Peshawar church

PESHAWAR: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby visited the All Saints Church in Kohati Bazaar affected by twin suicide bombings nine years ago during his three-day visit to Pakistan.

Justin Welby arrived at the Lahore airport on Friday and was received by Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council and Special Representative of the Prime Minister for Interfaith Harmony Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi and President of the Church of Pakistan Bishop Azad Marshal.

“In our troubled and hurting world, it’s a privilege to be in Pakistan to show solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the Church of Pakistan. Their courage and faithfulness are a blessing and inspiration. Please pray for them,” Justin Welby said in a statement on Twitter.

On Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury Church of England Justin Welby and Bishop Azad Marshal arrived at the church in Peshawar. Strict security arrangements were made during the visit of the bishop to the city. A superintendent of police supervised the security inside the church as the archbishop led mass. 

“I had been planning for a long to come here but events across the world did not let me come here. I feel strong after being here,” said the archbishop while addressing a number of people at the church. The representatives of Muslims also met the archbishop.

The All Saints Church was attacked by two suicide bombings on September 22, 2013, resulting in the death of at least 127 people and injuries to over 170 others.

In our troubled and hurting world, it’s a privilege to be in Pakistan to show solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the Church of Pakistan. Their courage and faithfulness are a blessing and inspiration. Please pray for them. pic.twitter.com/XO2Jq3RPmL

— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) February 27, 2022

Earlier Special Representative on Interfaith Harmony Tahir Ashrafi hosted a reception for Archbishop Justin Welby in Islamabad and termed him an “ambassador of peace”.

Ashrafi said, “Apparently this is a small in size but in fact a big gathering as a towering figure is among us who is the ambassador of peace. To me, he is a teacher and he has a leading role in global perspective for promoting peace and interfaith harmony.”

‘This is a blessing, you are here in Pakistan, that is your own country,” he said, adding that Archbishop Justin always supported the people encouraging peace and interfaith harmony worldwide.

He said the PUC raised its voice when it was quite difficult to speak on international interfaith harmony and dialogue. Ashrafi said he was one and only who spoke bluntly either it was Rimsha Masih case or Lahore Joseph Colony issue or suicide attack on the church because there was fear among the people. He said forced marriages or religious conversions were un-Islamic practices. He said all religions on earth preached the lesson of peaceful coexistence and so as Islam.