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ANS
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic community in Pakistan is delighted that the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has confirmed the validity of the diocesan investigation for the beatification and canonization of the young Pakistani Servant of God Akash Bashir (Risalpur June 22, 1994 - Lahore March 15, 2015). After reviewing the "formal aspects of the procedure and the coherence of the evidence" (number and quality of witnesses, documents collected), the communication was forwarded on November 5, 2024 to the General Postulator of the Salesians, Father Pierluigi Cameroni, who is following the process. This is reported by the Salesian agency ANS.
"This is a great success, the result of the passionate and competent work of the members of the Diocesan Tribunal and those who contributed to it, in particular the Historical Commission and the Vice-Postulator Father Gabriel Cruz (SDB),” said the Postulator General, who will now ask the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to appoint a “relator” to lead the preparation of the “Positio super martyrio” of the Servant of God. The diocesan investigation took place in the Archbishop's Curia in Lahore (Pakistan) from March 15, 2022 to March 15, 2024.
Father Lazar Aslam (OFM Cap), priest of the Capuchin Order in the General Custody “Mariam Siddeeqa” in Pakistan and Superior of the Franciscan Community of the Franciscan Monastery in Lahore, stressed to Fides: “Today the Catholic community is deeply happy about this further step forward. We are grateful to God for the gift of Akash and for his testimony. People here pray incessantly. There is a constant flow of pilgrims to his tomb: people pray and ask for the intercession of Akash. And I can say that spiritual miracles of conversion and consolation are happening. Akash reminds us of another young man, Carlo Acutis, the young Italian Blessed buried in Assisi. Akash too had a deep devotion and love for the Eucharist. They are two young men with a heart. Personalities like Akash and Carlo show the fruits that closeness to the heart of God produces in life and are an inspiration for our young people to walk the path of holiness of life in our country, in our nation.”
Akash Bashir was born on June 22, 1994 in Risalpur (Pakistan) into a humble family and attended the “Don Bosco Technical Institute” in Lahore. He lived the normal life of a young man, living with his family, friends, school and community. He enjoyed sports, was baptized and a believer, and prayer was part of his life. He strived to live as a “good Christian and upstanding citizen” as Don Bosco had desired.
He had volunteered to serve as a security guard at his parish church, St. John, in the Youhanabad area of Lahore. While he was serving on this duty on Sunday morning, 15 March 2015, a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt attempted to enter the church, where more than 800 worshippers were attending mass at the time.
Realizing the danger of an attempted massacre, Bashir did not hesitate to stop the bomber and sacrifice himself to prevent the massacre. When the man did not stop, he held him, whereupon the man detonated the explosives in front of the church, immediately taking Akash to his death. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 8/11/2024)
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