Conversation with award winning Columban

Australian born, Columban Fr Robert McCulloch has been awarded the Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam, the highest civilian award that can be given to foreign nationals with the citation: "For services to Health, Education, and Inter-Faith Relations.”

In a recent interview, Fr Robert McCulloch said:

“I have lived more than half my life happily in Pakistan. When the governor of Sindh phoned me in Rome to give the news that I had been honoured by Pakistan with this award, I sat back and thought of all the people in different places in Pakistan whom I have known and ministered to and worked with. And I said to myself: "Yes, we have all done good things together." Of course, I am personally honoured as a Columban priest in receiving the award but it is also a wonderful public recognition by the President and people of Pakistan of the presence and role of the Catholic Church in Pakistan.


In everything I have done, Bishop Max Rodrigues of Hyderabad has always give me support, kindness, encouragement, and friendship.

I see the award as a public statement by the government of Pakistan that it rejects the current stream of anti-Christian feeling being pushed by Islamic fundamentalists and extremists in Pakistan. The giving of this particular award, the Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam, is a reminder of the vision for Pakistan of its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who is called the Quaid-e-Azam. He wanted Pakistan to be a nation that embraced the diversity of languages, cultures and religions in unity and harmony and equality.

I think the great challenge for Pakistani Christians is to never under-estimate their goodness. Christians in Pakistan are very often labelled as a minority and told "you can't do that because you are non-Muslim". I have always encouraged them to reply "I can because I'm Catholic" and to be proud of being both Christian and Pakistani. They often have to face opposition and threats. As a priest, I am in their debt because they have inspired me to be full of faith in spite of everything that may happen.

The Church in Pakistan has an outstanding young generation of good and enthusiastic priests whom I have has the privilege to teach. Pakistani Catholic laypeople are extraordinarily gifted and committed. The educational, pastoral, and medical work that I have been engaged in would never have got anywhere without their talents and abilities. The Catholic Church in Pakistan is a poor church; it doesn't have much money. But it is rich in its good and faithful people.”

The ceremony will be conducted by the President on March 16 in Islamabad, followed by a reception at Government House in Karachi hosted by the Governor of Sindh.

Fr Robert McCulloch SSC is the Procurator General for St Columbans Mission Society in Rome.

Read: Columban honoured by Pakistan

or

Donate Online now to support the work of the Columbans