Andrew Francis (bishop) explained

Type:Bishop
Andrew Francis
Bishop
Church:Roman Catholic
See:Roman Catholic Diocese of Multan
Term:2000  - 2014
Predecessor:Ernest Bertrand Boland, O.P.
Successor:Benny Mario Travas
Ordination:10 January 1972
Consecration:26 February 2000
Consecrated By:Archbishop Alessandro D'Errico
Bishop Anthony Theodore Lobo
Birth Date:29 November 1946
Birth Place:Adah, Pakistan
Previous Post:Parish Priest
Honorific Prefix:His Grace, The Most Reverend

Andrew Francis (29 November 1946  - 6 June 2017) was the Pakistani Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Multan from 2000 to 2014.

Biography

He was born in Adah, Pakistan on 29 November 1946. He was educated at St. Mary’s Convent school, Adah and St Francis High School, Lahore.[1]

He received his religious training at the Christ the King Seminary in Karachi. On 10 January 1972, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Lahore. He has been rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore in 1986 and later Parish Priest of St. Anthony's Church, Lahore, until his ordination as bishop in February 2000.

Francis also served as the editor-in-chief of Pakistan's oldest catholic fortnightly the Catholic Naqib.[2]

On 3 December 1999 he was appointed Bishop of Multan in Pakistan. He was ordained as bishop on 26 February 2000.[3] [4]

It was later revealed that a civil court had issued a stay order on the ordination of the Bishop-elect, but he was ordained before the court order arrived. Archbishop Alessandro D'Errico, apostolic nuncio to Pakistan, and Bishop Anthony Lobo of Islamabad-Rawalpindi presided at the ordination of Bishop Francis at a private chapel of the Lahore archbishop's house.[5]

Bishop Francis was the chairman of the National Commission for Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism, National Commission of Sacred Liturgy and National Commission of Catholic Urdu Literature. Also he was a member of Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue - Rome, International Commission for English in the Liturgy, USA and the Minority Committee of the Government of Pakistan.[6]

In 2014 Francis was injured in a car accident and became a wheelchair user.[7]

On 13 June 2014 Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Andrew Francis in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law, and appointed Benny Travas of Karachi as Apostolic Administrator.

Bishop Andrew died on 6 June 2017, aged 70.[8]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/detail.php?hnewsid=6526 Pakistan Christian Post January 22, 2018
  2. http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/opinion-details/2956 Pakistan Christian Post July 8, 2017
  3. Web site: Muslims and Christians join in prayer for the victims of London bomb blasts. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110614055727/http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=5287&lan=eng. 14 June 2011.
  4. Web site: Bishop of Multan.
  5. http://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/2000/02/28/nuncio-ordains-new-bishop-before-arrival-of-court-stay-on-ordination&post_id=15513 UCANews February 28 2000
  6. Web site: UCANews.com Diocesan Profile Series . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090427194432/http://www.ucanews.com/dps/html/dps-pa_multan.php . 27 April 2009 .
  7. http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/emeritus-bishop-of-multan-his-paralysed-legs-have-not-stopped-him/34289/1 Paralysed legs have not stopped him
  8. Web site: Vatican Information Service. 10 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20150529202935/http://www.vis.va/vissolr/index.php?vi=all&dl=4e1d9773-9d0e-4c21-e353-539af202f6bd&dl_t=text%2Fxml&dl_a=y&ul=1&ev=1. 29 May 2015. dead. dmy-all.