Catholic TV, Pakistan
Encyclopedia
The first Catholic TV channel in Pakistan
was launched in 2009.
The introduction of Catholic TV will be for the Church in Pakistan, a great opportunity for evangelisation through the media, supplementing the Urdu service of Radio Veritas Asia
. Radio Veritas has been broadcasting an Urdu service for Pakistan and India since 14 August 1987.
Father Morris Jalal
visits families and attends church functions in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore
and carries a video camera to document the community's life for the first Catholic TV channel in Pakistan. The founder and executive director of Catholic TV has made this service available round-the-clock on a local cable channel.
The purpose of the project is to take advantage of the era of rapid communications to promote human values and the message of the Gospel
to a general audience. While Christian print media remains limited only to the literate, electronic media is watched by everybody and could possibly help build and reinforce a society of peace and tolerance. Programming includes Christian films, documentaries on church activities, talk shows, interviews, holy songs, rosary
recitation, Bible
quiz competitions and live Sunday Mass.
Catholic TV can be viewed within a radius of 10 kilometers from the central Lahore compound of St. Francis Parish, an area in which an estimated 8,000 Catholic families live. Production facilities are simple. The dining room of the parish doubles as the set for recording interviews, and a small storeroom houses the editing facilities. The salaries for the 11 Catholic TV staff members add up to US$680 per month. The money comes from parish revenues with no outside funding.
The government's media regulatory body has not approved a permit for any Christian radio, TV or news service, and state-owned Pakistan Television grants Christians only two 30-minute slots a year for Christmas
and Easter
programs.
Catholic communicators have found their way around Pakistani unwillingness to give airspace to the Church, taking advantage of cable and Internet to broadcast their message. The first Catholic TV channels in Pakistan have been endorsed by Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha
of Lahore, president of the National Center for Social Communications.
The country’s first Catholic television channel celebrated its first anniversary by honoring its anchors, all of them volunteers. More than 500 people gathered for the April 28, 2010 program at St. Francis Church in Lahore. Catholic TV, a round-the-clock local cable service, has expanded to include shows on human rights abuses, current affairs, Christian personalities and programs about the lifestyle of clergy. Catholic TV is totally funded by local Catholics. Auxiliary Bishop Sebastian Francis Shah
of Lahore who spoke at the event said that such media are necessary to strengthen peoples’ faith.
After the closure of the Karachi-based Good News TV
in early 2011, Catholic TV now remains the only Church run TV channel in the country. The CEO of Good News TV, Arthur Charles
reported receiving some advertising but finances continued to be a problem ultimately leading to its closing down.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
was launched in 2009.
The introduction of Catholic TV will be for the Church in Pakistan, a great opportunity for evangelisation through the media, supplementing the Urdu service of Radio Veritas Asia
Radio Veritas Asia
Radio Veritas Asia was inaugurated by the Southeast Asian Bishops' Conference on April 11, 1969. It is a private non-commercial Catholic radio station located in the Philippines...
. Radio Veritas has been broadcasting an Urdu service for Pakistan and India since 14 August 1987.
Father Morris Jalal
Morris Jalal
Morris Jalal is a Catholic priest working in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore in Pakistan. He received his religious training through the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and at the Christ the King Seminary and was ordained a priest on 14 September 1984.Father Jalal was the parish priest of...
visits families and attends church functions in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore is an archdiocese in Punjab, Pakistan.-History:It was founded as a diocese on 1 September 1886, having previously been the Vicariate of Punjab. On 23 April 1994 the diocese was elevated to the rank of Archdiocese. Fr...
and carries a video camera to document the community's life for the first Catholic TV channel in Pakistan. The founder and executive director of Catholic TV has made this service available round-the-clock on a local cable channel.
The purpose of the project is to take advantage of the era of rapid communications to promote human values and the message of the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
to a general audience. While Christian print media remains limited only to the literate, electronic media is watched by everybody and could possibly help build and reinforce a society of peace and tolerance. Programming includes Christian films, documentaries on church activities, talk shows, interviews, holy songs, rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
recitation, Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
quiz competitions and live Sunday Mass.
Catholic TV can be viewed within a radius of 10 kilometers from the central Lahore compound of St. Francis Parish, an area in which an estimated 8,000 Catholic families live. Production facilities are simple. The dining room of the parish doubles as the set for recording interviews, and a small storeroom houses the editing facilities. The salaries for the 11 Catholic TV staff members add up to US$680 per month. The money comes from parish revenues with no outside funding.
The government's media regulatory body has not approved a permit for any Christian radio, TV or news service, and state-owned Pakistan Television grants Christians only two 30-minute slots a year for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
programs.
Catholic communicators have found their way around Pakistani unwillingness to give airspace to the Church, taking advantage of cable and Internet to broadcast their message. The first Catholic TV channels in Pakistan have been endorsed by Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha
Lawrence Saldanha
Lawrence John Saldanha was born in Mangalore, India on 25 October 1936. He received his religious training at the Christ the King seminary in Karachi and was ordained a priest in Lahore, Pakistan on 16 January 1960....
of Lahore, president of the National Center for Social Communications.
The country’s first Catholic television channel celebrated its first anniversary by honoring its anchors, all of them volunteers. More than 500 people gathered for the April 28, 2010 program at St. Francis Church in Lahore. Catholic TV, a round-the-clock local cable service, has expanded to include shows on human rights abuses, current affairs, Christian personalities and programs about the lifestyle of clergy. Catholic TV is totally funded by local Catholics. Auxiliary Bishop Sebastian Francis Shah
Sebastian Francis Shah
Sebastian Francis Shah was born in Padri-Jo-Goth, Pakistan on 14 November 1957. He received his early education at Fatima High School and attended the Government Degree College. He received his religious training under the Order of Friars Minor and at the Christ the King seminary in Karachi and...
of Lahore who spoke at the event said that such media are necessary to strengthen peoples’ faith.
After the closure of the Karachi-based Good News TV
Good News TV
Good News TV started as a showcase produced by a small team in a studio in Karachi, Pakistan. It is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to use modern media as a tool to connect people to their faith. It is supported by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi. Good News TV offers...
in early 2011, Catholic TV now remains the only Church run TV channel in the country. The CEO of Good News TV, Arthur Charles
Arthur Charles
Arthur Charles received his religious training at the Christ the King Seminary and was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi.From 2005 to 2009 he served as assistant parish priest at St. Jude's Parish, Karachi....
reported receiving some advertising but finances continued to be a problem ultimately leading to its closing down.