While offering his deepest condolences over the sad demise of well-known Christian leader Bishop Emeritus Dr. Andrew Francis, Patron in Chief of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the deceased was very passionate and patriotic Pakistani. He rendered valuable services to promote the interfaith harmony and establish peace in motherland as the leader of Christian community. He observed that Bishop Dr Andrew Francis was lover of humanity.

In addition to this, Chairman Supreme Council of Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) Dr. Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, President MQI Dr. Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri and Director MQI Interfaith Relations, Sohail Ahmad Raza also expressed their deep sense of grief over the demise of late Andrew Francis and said that today Pakistani nation had been deprived of human friendly personality. They added that the late Bishop had played very vital role in the promotion of Muslim-Christian unity and he presented soft image of Pakistan at multiple international forums as the representative of Catholic Church. “We share the grief of Archbishop of Lahore, Bishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, Archbishop of Karachi Bishop Joseph Coutts, Dr. James Channan, the family of deceased Dr. Andrew and all Catholic community at this hour of great loss”, they added.

They noted that the late Dr. Andrew Francis had longstanding close affiliation with Directorate of Interfaith Relations of Minhaj-ul-Quran International and particularly remained on the faculty of the Department of School of Religions and Philosophy, Minhaj University Lahore, while noting that the land of Pakistan would forever remember his services in the cause of promoting Muslim-Christian relations in golden words. They announced that the delegates of Interfaith Relations would participate in funeral services of late Dr. Andrew Bishop.