Sacred Heart Cathedral ( ur, ) is the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

of 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 ...

, located in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Built at the behest of bishop Godefroid Pelckmans (Bishop of Lahore, 1893-1904) with Belgian aid and materials, the cathedral was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

by Bishop Fabian Eestermans, the Bishop of Lahore, on 19 November 1907. Its roots lie in the historical presence of the Belgian Capuchins in Pakistan. The design of this Cathedral was made according to the Roman Byzantine-style by Belgian architect, Edouard Dobbeleers of

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

History

A special commemorative postage stamp was released on the Centenary Day of the Cathedral by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

also sent a message for the jubilee of the Lahore cathedral. Archbishop

Adolfo Tito Yllana Adolfo Tito Camacho Yllana (born 6 February 1948) is a Philippine prelate of the Catholic Church who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He has been an archbishop and apostolic nuncio since 2001, the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel as ...

, Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan, read out the special message from the Pope to the local congregation in Lahore. In 2007 Father Andrew Nisari was the Rector of the Cathedral. On March 11, 2008, a suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosive material into the eight-storey FIA office situated at Temple Road, Lahore. At least ten of the cathedral's stained-glass windows were hit by the blast. Many of the other window panes were also blown out. In the meantime they have been restored in Belgium. In 2011, the Cathedral had registered more than 20,000 baptisms and nearly 5,500 marriages since its founding. The cathedral was awarded the Belgian Heritage Abroad prize in 2015. In 2020, the Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs, Ijaz Alam Augustine asked the provincial government to put the cathedral on the national heritage list. He has also said that his ministry will cover the expenses of restoration work needed, including new pipes, electrical system and other beautification work, approximately 50,000,000 rupees (about US$300,000). In 2022 the

Walled City of Lahore Authority The Walled City of Lahore Authority ( ur, ) is a semi-governmental organisation in Lahore, Pakistan, established and funded by the Government of Punjab for the conservation, planning and development, regulation and management of the Walled City ...

announced that it would spend Rs 15 million on the preservation and conservation of the cathedral.Dawn January 18, 2022
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Gallery

File:Sacred Heart Cathedral(2).jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (inside view) File:Sacred_Heart_Cathedral_(Altar).jpg, Altar File:Sacred Heart Cathedral (Lahore) II.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (inside view) File:Sacred Heart Cathedral (Lahore) I.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (exterior) File:Sacred Heart Cathedral (Lahore) III.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (altar) File:Sacred Heart Cathedral1.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (inside)

References

External links

Official website of the Archdiocese of Lahore
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sacred

Roman Catholic churches in Lahore 1907 establishments in India The Mall, Lahore Roman Catholic churches completed in 1907

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links