Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lahore, Pakistan

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Lahore / Lahoren(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Faisalabad, Islamabad–Rawalpindi, Multan

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1880.09.30: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Punjab (from Apostolic Vicariate of Agra)
1886.09.01: Promoted as Diocese of Lahore / Lahoren(sis) (Latin)
1887.06.07: Became suffragan of Agra
1887.07.06: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Kafiristan e Kashmir
1910.09.13: Lost territory to establish Archdiocese of Simla
1913.05.22: Became suffragan of Simla
1936.12.17: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Multan
1950.07.15: Became suffragan of Karachi
1952.01.17: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Jalandhar and Apostolic Prefecture of Kashmir and Jammu
1994.04.23: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lahore / Lahoren(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Faisalabad, Islamabad–Rawalpindi and Multan)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2013.11.14 – ...):

Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, O.F.M. (67)

Apostolic Administrator sede plena (2024.08.15 – ...):

Archbishop Benny Mario Travas (58)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Karachi (Pakistan)

Vice-President of Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Lahore (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Benny Mario Travas (58)
(Apostolic Administrator sede plena 2024.08.15 – ...)

Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, O.F.M. (67)
(2013.11.14 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lahore (Pakistan)

Compassion

Born:	1957.11.14 (Padri-Jo-Goth, Pakistan)
Ordained Priest:	1991.12.06
Consecrated Bishop:	2009.04.25

Titular Bishop of Knin (2009.02.14 – 2013.11.14)

Auxiliary Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (2009.02.14 – 2013.11.14)

Apostolic Administrator of Lahore (Pakistan) (2011 – 2013.11.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (2013.11.14 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Multan (Pakistan) (2021.04.11 – 2022.12.09)

Bishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, O.F.M. (67) (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2011 – 2013.11.14)

Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha (88)
(2001.04.24 – 2011.04.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Lahore (Pakistan)

Help me God

Born:	1936.06.12 (Mangalore, Pakistan)
Ordained Priest:	1960.01.16
Consecrated Bishop:	2001.09.11

Priest of Lahore (Pakistan) (1960.01.16 – 2001.04.24)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (2001.04.24 – 2011.04.07)

President of Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (2002 – 2011.03)

Archbishop Armando Trindade
(1994.04.23 – 2000.07.31)

Born:	1927.10.25 (Pakistan)
Ordained Priest:	1950.05.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1973.10.07
Died:	2000.07.31 († 72)

Titular Bishop of Tubusuptu (1973.07.05 – 1975.07.10)

Auxiliary Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1973.07.05 – 1975.07.10)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1975.07.10 – 1994.04.23)

President of Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (1994 – 2000)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1994.04.23 – 2000.07.31)

Bishops of Lahore (Roman Rite)

Bishop Armando Trindade (later Archbishop)
(1975.07.10 – 1994.04.23)

(see above)

Bishop Felicissimus Alphonse Raeymaeckers, O.F.M. Cap.
(1967.03.12 – 1975.07.10)

Born:	1915.03.12 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1939.06.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1963.10.20
Died:	1978.06.24 († 63)

Auxiliary Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1963.08.05 – 1966)

Titular Bishop of Aperlæ (1963.08.05 – 1967.03.12)

Coadjutor Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1966 – 1967.03.12)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1967.03.12 – 1975.07.10)

Bishop Marcel Roger Buyse, O.F.M. Cap.
(1947.06.12 – 1967.03.12)

Born:	1892.08.22 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1917.05.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1947.10.28
Died:	1974.05.29 († 81)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1947.06.12 – 1967.03.12)

Titular Bishop of Iunca in Byzacena (1967.03.12 – 1971.01.08)

Bishop Hector Catry, O.F.M. Cap.
(1928.03.28 – 1946.07.04)

Born:	1889.10.27 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1914.06.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1928.10.28
Died:	1972.03.18 († 82)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1928.03.28 – 1946.07.04)

Titular Bishop of Semta (1946.07.04 – 1972.03.18)

Bishop Fabiano Antonio Eestermans, O.F.M. Cap.
(1905.04.11 – 1925.12.17)

Born:	1858.04.24 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1883.05.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1905.06.29
Died:	1931.02.01 († 72)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1905.04.11 – 1925.12.17)

Titular Bishop of Letopolis (1925.12.17 – 1931.02.01)

Bishop Goffredo Pelckmans, O.F.M. Cap.
(1893.06.02 – 1904.08.03)

Born:	1854.01.21 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1878.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1893.08.13
Died:	1904.08.03 († 50)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1893.06.02 – 1904.08.03)

Bishop Emmanuel Alfonso van den Bosch, O.F.M. Cap. (later Archbishop)
(1890.11.21 – 1892.01.02)

Born:	1854.06.18 (Belgium)
Consecrated Bishop:	1891.01.18
Died:	1921.10.17 († 67)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1890.11.21 – 1892.01.02)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Agra (India) (1892.01.02 – 1897.04.27)

Titular Archbishop of Parium (1897.04.27 – 1921.10.17)

Bishop Charles-Jacques Mouard, O.F.M. Cap.
(1888.08.08 – 1890.06.14)

Born:	1828.11.22 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1855.05.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1882.10.29
Died:	1890.06.14 († 61)

Vicar Apostolic of Seychelles (Seychelles) (1882.08.08 – 1888.08.08)

Titular Bishop of Cydonia (1882.09.15 – 1888.08.08)

Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1888.08.08 – 1890.06.14)

Vicars Apostolic of Punjab (Roman Rite)

Bishop Paolo Tosi, O.F.M. Cap.
(1880.09.27 – 1886?)

Born:	1826.04.02 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1853.05.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1868.06.28
Died:	1901.06.03 († 75)

Vicar Apostolic of Patna (India) (1868.02.09 – 1880.09.27)

Titular Bishop of Rhodiopolis (1868.03.03 – 1901.06.03)

Vicar Apostolic of Punjab (Pakistan) (1880.09.27 – 1886?)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Felicissimus Alphonse Raeymaeckers, O.F.M. Cap. (1966 – 1967.03.12)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, O.F.M. (67) (later Archbishop) (2009.02.14 – 2013.11.14)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Armando Trindade (later Archbishop) (1973.07.05 – 1975.07.10)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Felicissimus Alphonse Raeymaeckers, O.F.M. Cap. (1963.08.05 – 1966)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Lahore, Punjab
National Shrine: National Mariam Shrine, Mariamabad, Punjab

Faisalabad (←), Islamabad–Rawalpindi (↖), Jammu–Srinagar (↗), Jalandhar (→)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 23,069 km²

Population: 582,900 Catholics (1.7% of 33,533,250 total)

Pastoral Centres: 30 parishes

Personnel: 88 priests (37 diocesan, 51 religious), 489 religious (85 brothers, 404 sisters), 26 seminarians