Martyr Dr. Bishop John Joseph: A Personal Tribute by Nadeem Bhatti
Born in 1932 in Khushpur, Bishop John Joseph was ordained in 1960 and later earned a doctorate in Canon Law in Rome. Appointed Bishop of Faisalabad in 1984, he became a prominent public figure who stood with the oppressed, consistently challenging discriminatory practices and the misuse of the Blasphemy law.
His commitment was forged through personal sacrifice. During the Salamat Masih, blasphemy accusation case filed in the 1990s, the bishop was attacked and injured in the same case, the 1994 attack that claimed the life of Manzoor Masih. At the burial, he pledged that no one else would fall victim to such injustice under his watch.
In 1998, the case of Ayub Masih revealed deep structural flaws in the legal system, where personal disputes were escalated into capital charges. When all avenues for justice seemed exhausted, Bishop John Joseph chose a final, irreversible path to force the world to listen. His death drew international attention to the plight of religious minorities and the consequences of unaccountable laws.
On May 6, 1998, Pakistan witnessed a profound act that pierced the nation’s conscience. Bishop John Joseph, the Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad, took his own life outside a court in Sahiwal. This was not an act of despair, but a deliberate public protest against the systemic abuse of blasphemy laws and a legal system failing to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
Nearly three decades later, his legacy remains a call for equality and reform. If his death shocked us, his life should continue to guide us to struggle and speak for the downtrodden and persecuted Church.
My Testimony
I volunteered for several years with my home Church Diocese of Faisalabad. The late Dr. Bishop Joseph was installed as a Bishop in 1984 in the huge, beautiful Cathedral of the Faisalabad Diocese. We shared the same native village, Khushpur, and we were neighbours.
I participated as a worship singer and active choir member representing La Salle Catholic High School. After a few years of his installation, Bishop John established the Muslim-Christian Coordination Commission. I’m honoured to work with him to advocate for Christian rights in Pakistan. I led a campaign to highlight the misuse of Pakistan’s Blasphemy laws. In that year, one of the Catholic youth, Gul Masih, was arrested for committing blasphemy. He had an internal investigation in Gul’s case; he vouched for Gul against the fake and fabricated legal filing. The Islamic group Sipa-Sahaba pressured the court to hang Gul; he would face severe consequences. Finally, Gul was acquitted by the session court and escaped to Germany for his safety. The Judge who ruled this case and declared Gul innocent left for the USA for his safety.
We had occasional meetings. Later in 1990, Shehbaz Bhatti met Dr. Bishop John Joseph and assured his support in another blasphemy case, Ayub Masih, to continue the struggle for Christian rights in Pakistan.
As the first Punjabi Catholic bishop, he was a prominent activist for human rights and minority rights, opposing the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. During his address to the national youth in March 1987 in a Youth Hall, Faisalabad diocese, he advised us not to argue about religion with Muslims and to keep our mouths shut. But if ever I get a chance to speak in the Western world, keep my mouth wide open to proclaim Christian persecution.
Nadeem led the National Christian youth movement in Pakistan to create harmony and unity among Christian groups to combat mob attacks on Churches and Christian communities. Together with another Martyr Shahbaz Bhatti, established the Christian Liberation Front (CFL) in Faisalabad in March 1990. That carried the mission of Dr. Bishop John Joseph; However, the name CLF was given for the Catholic Priest Fr. Siddique Sunder, O.P.
Nadeem’s close relative Shahbaz Bhatti – remain steadfast, committed and motivated in his mission. We worked tirelessly; We campaigned through all these years at the national and international level to attain the fundamental rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. He was warned by radical Islamic groups Al-Qeda & Taliban to stop his campaign to reform blasphemy laws. But carried his mission, eventually, he was assassinated on March 2nd, 2011, in Islamabad.
Nadeem was physically attacked during his mission work in Pakistan. Nadeem escaped religious persecution and flew to Canada in 2008. Nadeem continued to raise awareness of the injustices being experienced by Christians in countries that restrict religious liberties in Canada. He has advocated for both well-known asylum seekers and many who never see their situations reach international media coverage. He has co-sponsored several Christian refugees from varied ethnic backgrounds and countries who chose to make Saskatchewan-Alberta their home for good. Nadeem raised his voice for Asia Bibi’s release and filed a Mercy Petition in the House of Commons in 2012 through a local Member of Parliament. Nadeem did advocacy meetings for freedom of religion with Canadian politicians.
I never gave up my mission. Canadian Aid to Persecuted Christians (CAPC) was born out of the personal struggle and experience of Nadeem Bhatti. The Founder, Canadian Aid to Persecuted Christians (CAPC), was officially incorporated by the Canada Revenue Agency as a not-for-profit organization in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in September 2020. CAPC’s board members are currently all from the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Please visit www.capc.life
I strongly believe whoever follow him will face persecution. Blessed is those who are persecuted. “Mathew 5:10 – Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.