Lahore: March 14, 2014. (Fr. Inayat Bernard) “He is an accessible and simple Pope who is very appealing to the universal church composed of men, women and youth alike” St. Mary’s Minor Seminary Rector was sharing his ideas about the Holy Father in a short meeting called to respond to the completion of one year of the Pontificate of Holy Father Pope Francis. Fr. Inayat Bernard continued that the approach of the Holy Father from the beginning of Pontificate has been very revolutionary to avoid residing in the Vatican Place and opting to stay in a simple place. He told the other fathers that at the question of the seminarians to use the modern means of communication he said that the Holy Father had told the Seminarians and the novice not to use the smart phones. Fr. Bernard said that he himself did not accept a smart phone as a birthday gift from his friends but was content as the rector with the simple cell phone just to be in touch with the staff, relatives and friends and not to spend money which can be used for a better purpose. He said that it was the effect on him due to the extraordinary good example of the Holy Farther. Biblical Scholar and executive secretary of the Pakistan Catholic Bible Commission of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference Fr. Emmanuel Asi said that is was a good news that the third world church has been represented in the universal church and the Holy Father’s guidance will help the Catholics of the third world to grow in their faith in the Lord. He said that the Papal encyclical EVANGELII GAUDIUM was so interesting that in the recent meeting of the Major Religious Superiors on the 28th of February, 2014 they made a decision to ask the Maktaba-e- Anaveem to translate into Urdu and print it for the common faithful so that they can also come to know about the Holy Father. Fr. Asi said that it is only one year of the Holy Father and with the passage of time more and more people will come to know about him in depth. He ended by saying that the Bishops, priests, sisters and catechist have to make him known to the faithful to appreciate his lifestyle ,his teaching and approach to the inter-religious and ecumenism. Fr. Bonnie Mendes; the interim Executive Secretary of the Office of Human Development under the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences said that Holy Father’s action of washing of feet in the past months of disabled person has earned him original respect in the hearts and minds of people in the world. He said that the Papal initiative to meet the heads of the other religions has created a soft corner in the hearts of Pakistani Muslims and they appreciate the process of interfaith dialogue. Fr. Francis Nadeem OFM Cap; the national coordinator of the Council for Inter faith dialogue said that in the interfaith dialogue meetings in 2013 the Muslim religious scholars and the other religious have appreciated the Holy Father and feel it was a good start in simplicity and this approach is humble and in the world his respect is growing . As for dialogue, he will continue to bring religions together. We are impressed by his life style. The Muslim Ulemas , Fr. Nadeem ended that they associate Pope Francis with Pope John Paul II who visited Pakistan on his way to the Philippines on the 16th February 1981 feel that the present Holy Father Francis will also come to Pakistan and encourage and see the work being done in the field of interfaith dialogue. One and half year old assistant priest serving at the St. Anthony’s Church Lahore Fr. Derick Lal said that the approach of the Holy Father towards the youth is encouraging and we hope that he will continue to show his love and concern towards them and they will come back to the Christian religion. Minor seminarians said in a group sharing that we in an Islamic country are thrilled by his concern towards the events in Pakistan and he takes keen interest for the peace in Pakistan where we are affected and insecure by the Talibans. They prayed that the Holy Father may continue to show his love and concern towards the future religious leaders in general and the third world in particular. They said that they enthusiastically joined the Holy Father and fasted and prayed on the 7th September 2013 at the National Marian Shrine of Mariamabad in the Archdiocese of Lahore fopr peace in Syria. 75 years old Senior most priest of the Lahore Archdiocese Fr. Benjamin Joseph referred to the 9th March Burning of Joseph Colony in Lahore that when black smoke was rising to the heaven of the burning that time in March 2013 the white smoke of peace was rising from the Sistine chapel at Vatican. In March 2013, he ended that it was a coincidence and we made use of this occasion and were comforted for the election of Holy Father who is down to earth and close to the hearts and minds of people.