Pakistanʼs Catholic bishops have ended their “ad limina” visit to the Vatican with a formal invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the country, a move they and Christian activists hope will boost interfaith harmony and highlight minority concerns.
Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, extended the invitation during a papal audience on May 15, according to UCA News.
Pope Leo XIV responded positively to the invitation and expressed a desire to visit Pakistan in the future, the outlet reported.
Shukardin said the bishops returned from the “ad limina” visit with renewed hope for the church in Pakistan.
“The challenges we have in Pakistan are first how to evangelize the Church and also reach other people. A big challenge is that our people are still illiterate but strong in faith; they are poor but very hardworking. Many of our people are not receiving equal rights,” he said in a video shared on May 16 on Catholic TV.
“We have a big problem regarding blasphemy cases and forced conversions. Sometimes our Church is rejected and persecuted because we are not doing what others expect. Our Church is going through difficulties, but we are hopeful that one day we will receive equal rights in Pakistan.”
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, religious minorities in the country, including Christians and Ahmadis, continued to face persecution and discrimination in 2025.
The commissionʼs annual report highlighted persistent cases of forced conversion and underage marriages involving Hindu and Christian girls in Punjab and Sindh provinces, exposing failures in enforcing child marriage laws.
Mary James Gill, a Christian politician, former lawmaker, and executive director of the Center for Law and Justice, said Christians continue to face social and economic marginalization along with challenges related to religious freedom and interfaith relations.
“Eighty percent of Christians in Pakistan live below the poverty line. The reasons are linked more to caste-based structures than religion itself. A papal visit can bring attention to these issues,” she told EWTN News on May 19.
Gill said the Vatican holds moral and diplomatic influence that could help amplify the concerns of marginalized communities.
“Pakistan as a state gives weight and respect to Vatican recommendations and to figures such as the archbishop of Canterbury. A papal visit could increase visibility for Christian concerns and resonate with expectations from the community. It would also be a positive gesture because Christian political leadership in Pakistan often remains divided,” she said.