Vatican approves diocesan phase of Akash Bashir's cause for beatification

The Catholic community in Pakistan rejoiced as the Vatican approved the diocesan phase of Akash Bashir's cause of beatification. 

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints confirmed this significant step on October 24, 2024.

This shows the exceptional faith and bravery of the young Pakistani layman who selflessly sacrificed his life to save others in a terrorist attack at St. John's Catholic Church, Youhanabad-Labore, in 2015.

After its regular Congress on October 24, 2024, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints informed Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, the Postulator General for the Causes of Saints of the Salesian Family, on November 5, 2024, that the Dicastery had approved the diocesan inquiry for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Akash, who used to be a student at St. Don Bosco.

This follows the verification carried out on the formal aspects of the procedural documents and the consistency of the evidentiary apparatus: the number and quality of witnesses and the documents collected.

The Postulator General said, "This is a great achievement, the result of the work was done with passion and competence by the members of the diocesan tribunal and by those who have contributed, in particular by the Historical Commission and the vice-postulator, Fr Gabriel Cruz SDB."

The Postulator General will now request that the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints designate a rapporteur to oversee the preparation of the "Positio super martyrio" of the Servant of God, which Dr. Matteo Penati, a collaborator of the Postulation, will draft.

The Episcopal Curia in Lahore, Pakistan, hosted the diocesan inquiry from March 15, 2022 to March 15, 2024.

Akash Bashir was born at Risalpur in Pakistan on June 22, 1994, to a lowly family and studied at the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Lahore.

He led a life like any other young person and had his dreams for future. He lived with his family; he had friends both at school and at work; he liked to play sports; and prayer was part of his life. 

At a time when the situation in Pakistan was concerning, with the risk of encountering suicide bombers who targeted religious sites, he committed himself to living as "a good Christian and upright citizen," as Don Bosco had wished. Bashir also became a security volunteer in his parish church.

On March 15, 2015, one Sunday morning, a suicide bomber attempted to enter the church of St. John in Youhanabad, a Christian district of Lahore, which at that time had over 800 faithful participating in the Mass. 

When he realized the situation, Bashir did not hesitate to sacrifice himself to prevent the bomber from causing a massacre in the church. - With input from ANS, Vatican City