Pakistani Catholics protest attack on church

October 15, 2012 - Christians in Pakistan marched in Karachi over the weekend to protest against an attack on a church, prompted by ongoing anger over a film mocking the Prophet Mohammed. Catholic Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi led the protest which included about 70 priests, nuns and Christian politicians. The marchers carried banners that called for equal rights for Christians in the wake of the attack on Saint Francis Church on Friday evening. A mob of about 100 Muslims pelted stones at the doors and windows of the church, damaging the Marian grotto and parishioners’ vehicles parked in the compound. Franciscan Father Jamil Albert said churchgoers hid in the dining hall of the parish house during the attack. in which the group also wrote slogans on the wall of the church including “long live the Taliban.” Only about 30 percent of the congregation turned up for Mass on Sunday despite tighter security provided by police. The archbishop’s pastoral visit to the area has been cancelled, Fr Albert said. Friday’s attack was the third time Muslims have attacked St. Francis Church since the video appeared on the internet. A group of people broke into the church on October 6 and last month attackers stoned the compound wall and called Christians infidels.