With Christmas approaching, civil administrations across Pakistan have implemented heightened security measures around Christian churches to ensure the safety of worshippers during the holiday season.
According to a report by the Vatican’s Fides News Agency, the measures were introduced in various districts following consultations and coordination with Christian communities and church leaders.
They include the deployment of security forces, traffic control, improved lighting, and street cleaning near churches.
“Following the attacks in Pakistan and the recent events related to the conflict with Afghanistan, there is widespread fear of terrorist attacks in Pakistani society,” Father Qaisar Feroz OFM Cap, parish priest in Lahore and communications officer for the Pakistani Bishops’ Conference, told Fides.
“The government’s plan for alerting and protecting sensitive locations also includes churches, especially during the Christmas season,” the priest added.
Security checks are planned at church entrances. Father Feroz said police authorities met with Christian representatives to coordinate security arrangements, including visits by officers to several churches to review existing measures and provide guidance.
He added that “government authorities have stated that the protection of people, property, and the peaceful coexistence of minorities is the highest priority.” In Islamabad, police have urged citizens to immediately report any suspicious activity.
Amid the security concerns, Father Feroz said Christians are seeking to maintain the spirit of the season. They are trying “to live the spirit of Christmas and convey it to all Pakistanis, regardless of their religion, as an opportunity for fraternity and peaceful coexistence,” he noted.
“Two public events took place in Lahore in recent days,” Father Feroz reported, “one organized by government authorities, the other by the Catholic community. Both emphasized that Christmas is a holiday that conveys a message of peace,” he affirmed.
He spoke positively about an initiative organized by civil authorities, saying the joyful Christmas event was led by the Ministry of Minority Affairs of the Punjab government.
The gathering began at the Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and concluded at Freedom Square in Lahore, serving as a moment of interfaith unity and harmony where participants shared messages of peace and joy.
He said the event allowed Pakistani Christians to reaffirm the true spirit of Christmas, centered on love, hope, and unity.
“Christians are messengers of peace, in a time marked by conflict and hostilities,” Father Feroz continued.
“At Christmas, Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace, gives us the spirit of reconciliation and peace. And we give it to the nation, to the Muslim faithful and other religious communities, to governments, to the neighboring populations in India and Afghanistan, with whom there are currently tensions, in the hope of restoring peaceful relations,” he said.
A public peace event organized by the local Christian community, with the participation of civil and religious representatives, is scheduled for Dec. 21 in Karachi.
Interfaith gatherings are also taking place in various cities across Pakistan to mark Christmas, organized by Catholic parishes, associations, dioceses, and study centers, all aimed at reaffirming calls for peace and fraternity.
