Orthodoxy in Pakistan

Since 2005, an Orthodox mission has been opened in Pakistan, led by a Pakistani priest, John Tanveer. Since 1986, he served as a Catholic priest in the city of Lahore , and in 1990 he met with an Orthodox Greek general. ^[1] After the meeting, John Tanveer visited Australia in 1993, where he became more acquainted with Orthodoxy. In 1996, he resigned as a Catholic priest, in 1997 he married a graduate of Oxford - Rosa. In 1998, John Tanveer makes contact with representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and writes a petition for his acceptance into Orthodoxy. In 2001, his request was approved, and in 2003, his first meeting with the Orthodox bishop took place. In 2005, John (John) and his family, as well as like-minded people are accepted into Orthodoxy . ^[2]

During the missionary activity of priest John Tanveer, a house church and catechism school was opened in his house in Lahore , a number of liturgical texts and books were translated into Urdu (including “Conversations with St. Seraphim of Sarov”), the question of the official registration of the Orthodox Church in Pakistan was raised , raising funds for the construction of a spiritual center. In addition to Lahore, there are parishes in Wazirabad and Hafizabad , as well as small communities in Gujranwal , Navabshah and Faisalabad .

April 21, 2013 the first Orthodox church was laid. ^[3]

Mission Address: FR. John Tanveer Orthodox Mission in Pakistan Ghauri House 2- Clifton Colony Street no.1 Lahore 54600 Pakistan

In February 2012, the Pakistan Mission of the Australian-New Zealand Diocese of the ROCA was established in Pakistan . A house church was created in honor of Archangel Michael. Msk announced fundraising for the construction of a church and an orphanage in the city of Sargodha ^[4] .

In January 2013, Metropolitan Hilarion (Corporal) ordained priests Cyril Amer Shahzad and Joseph Faruk to the parish of the Archangel in Sargodha , as well as Anthony Shamun Masih to the parish of St. Anthony in Hyderabad ^[5] .

In September 2014, the Orthodox mission of St. Archangel Michael founded a temple in Bhalval ^[6]

Priests Cyril Amun Shahzad and Anthony Shamun Masih with the mission of Michael the Archangel passed to the non-canonical old-style Synod of Metropolitan Jacob (Yannakis) . On September 29, 2014, Metropolitan Hilarion (Corporal) announced that the priests Cyril Amun Shahzad and Anthony Shamun Masih were relieved of their duties and were no longer in the clergy of the ROCA, like the mission of Michael the Archangel. After this, the only canonical clergyman of the ROCA in Pakistan was Priest Joseph Faruk ^[7] .

The Pakistani Kiril Shahzad Amer, who became an Old Believer priest in the spring of 2017, in June baptized about 120 residents of the city of Sargodha according to the Old Believer rank, having founded the country's first Old Believer community ^[8] . On February 6, 2019, construction of the church in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh was begun ^[9] .

• List of Russian Orthodox Churches in Pakistan

• Orthodox Mission in Pakistan