Pakistan's Christians welcome appointment of cardinal
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's Christians have welcomed the elevation of Archbishop Joseph Coutts to cardinal.
Coutts, the 73-year-old archbishop of Karachi, was among 14 new cardinals appointed by Pope Francis at a ceremony on Thursday. He is only the second cardinal from Muslim-majority Pakistan, after Cardinal Joseph Cordero, who died in 1994.
Christians are a tiny minority in Pakistan, where they face discrimination and where they have been targeted by Islamic extremists.
Father Mario Rodrigues, a Christian community leader, says the appointment of Coutts is an honor for the nation and recognizes his promotion of inter-faith harmony.