The Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference (PCBC) is the

episcopal conference An episcopal conference, sometimes called a conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The first assembly of bishops to ...

of the Catholic bishops of Pakistan. Its objectives are to facilitate coordinated study and discussion of issues affecting the Church, and adoption of a common policy and effective action in all matters concerning the Church in Pakistan. The Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference decided on 18 April 1990 to build this new seminary for philosophical studies in the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lahore is a Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese in Punjab province, Pakistan. Its episcopal seat is the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore. History In 1594 the Mughal emperor Akbar invited some Cat ...

. Prior to this the

Christ the King Seminary The Christ the King Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town, Karachi, Pakistan; located in adjacent to the Portiuncula Friary. In its early years most of the faculty were provided by the Franciscans. It has been described ...

in Karachi was the only major seminary in the country. In 1997 the PCBC approved a

National Catholic Institute of Theology The National Catholic Institute of Theology (NCIT) is a Catholic theological institute established in Karachi, Pakistan in September 1997. It offers academic courses leading to a diploma in theology, as well as programs for laypeople and religio ...

to be set up in Karachi to provide theological formation in the spirit of renewal desired by the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

Presidents

Cardinal

Joseph Cordeiro Joseph Marie Anthony Cordeiro (19 January 1918 – 11 February 1994) was the first Pakistani cardinal. Early life Cordeiro was born to a Goan family. He was educated at St Patrick's High School, Karachi, the University of Bombay and Oxford ...

, 1958–1971 and 1973-1994 Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, C.S.C., 1971–1973 Archbishop

Armando Trindade Armando Trindade (born 25 October 1927 in Karachi, British India (now Pakistan)) studied at St Patrick's High School, Karachi. He received his religious training at the Papal Seminary, Kandy, Sri Lanka and was ordained a priest on 6 May 1950. ...

, 1994–2000 Archbishop

Simeon Anthony Pereira Simeon Anthony Pereira (19 October 1927, Sukkur, British India - 22 August 2006, Karachi) was a former archbishop of Karachi. Life Pereira was educated at St Patrick's High School, Karachi. He received his religious training at the Papal Semin ...

, 2000–2002 Archbishop

Lawrence Saldanha Lawrence John Saldanha (born 12 June 1936) is an Indian-born retired Pakistani archbishop. Born in Mangalore, India, he received his religious training at the Christ the King seminary in Karachi and was ordained a priest in Lahore, Pakistan ...

, 2002-2011 Archbishop

Joseph Arshad Joseph Arshad (born August 25, 1964) is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Biography Arshad was born on August 25, 1964, in Lahore. After completing school, he began his priestly education at St. Mary's Minor Semi ...

, 2011-present

Secretary General

Bishop

Anthony Theodore Lobo Anthony Theodore Felix Lobo (4 July 1937 – 18 February 2013) was a Pakistani Roman Catholic bishop. On 8 June 1982 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Karachi by Pope John Paul II. On 28 May 1993 he became Bishop of Islamabad–Rawalpindi. ...

, 1989–2010 Bishop

Rufin Anthony Rufin Anthony (12 February 1940 – 17 October 2016) was a Pakistani Roman Catholic bishop. Early life Anthony was born in Khushpur, Lyallpur District, British India (now in Faisalabad District, Pakistan). He completed his primary and secondary ...

, 2010-2015

Commissions

National Commission for Justice and Peace National Catholic Education Commission, Pakistan Major Seminary Muslim Christian Dialogue Catechetics and Biblical Apostolate Liaison with Charismatics Ongoing Formation of Clergy Revision of Urdu Catholic BiblesUCANews, April 26 1989
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakistan, Catholic Bishops Catholic Church in Pakistan Episcopal conferences