Joseph Coutts was born on 21 July 1945 in Amritsar, India, and was ordained a priest for the diocese of Lahore on 9 January 1971. He was elected coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad on 5 May 1988, succeeding as bishop on 1 September 1990, and was transferred to Faisalabad on 27 June 1998.
On 25 January 2012 he became Metropolitan Archbishop of Karachi, serving until his resignation was accepted on 11 February 2021. From 2011 to 2017 he was president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference, speaking for a Church that is barely one percent of Pakistan's population through blasphemy-law cases, the killings of Christians, and repeated sectarian attacks — a public champion of interreligious dialogue throughout.
Pope Francis created him a cardinal on 28 June 2018, with the titular church of San Bonaventura da Bagnoregio — Pakistan's only cardinal.
Major Works & Initiatives
Archbishop of Karachi
Led Pakistan's largest diocese through sectarian violence and the blasphemy-law years.
President of the Pakistan Bishops' Conference
The public voice of Pakistan's Catholics.
Bishop of Hyderabad
His first episcopal see, in Sindh.
Controversies
On the record
No significant public controversies reported.