EWTN portal reports on the delayed compensation for victims of the 2013 All Saints Church bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan, where over 96 people were killed and more than 150 injured in twin suicide bombings. More than 12 years later, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government began distributing checks ranging from 1 million to 2 million rupees ($3,588 to $7,175) to 37 victims, including 11 widows, 24 orphaned children, and two persons with disabilities. Survivors and Catholic groups have criticized the delayed aid as a “mockery of justice,” noting that many victims died over the years due to inadequate medical care and financial hardship. The article highlights the broader context of persecution against Christians in Pakistan, including the 2022 murder of a Church of Pakistan pastor and a foiled suicide attack in 2016. This case exemplifies the failure of secular governance to protect religious minorities and the absence of the public reign of Christ the King, which alone can ensure justice and peace.
The Illusion of Secular Justice and the Absence of Christ’s Kingship
The delayed compensation for the victims of the 2013 All Saints Church bombing in Peshawar is not merely a bureaucratic failure; it is a symptom of the profound spiritual and moral bankruptcy of secular governance. The Pakistani government’s inability to provide timely and adequate aid to the persecuted Christian community underscores the inherent limitations of a system that excludes the Kingship of Christ from public life. As Pope Pius XI taught in his encyclical Quas Primas, “the hope of lasting peace will not yet shine upon nations as long as individuals and states renounce and do not wish to recognize the reign of our Savior.” The suffering of the Pakistani Christians is a direct consequence of the secularist paradigm that reduces religion to a private affair and denies the social Kingship of Christ.
The article notes that “provincial governments in Sindh and Punjab provided compensation ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 rupees to victims soon after the attack,” while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government delayed disbursements despite court interventions. This disparity reveals the arbitrary and inconsistent nature of secular justice, which is often influenced by political expediency rather than the objective demands of the moral law. In a truly Christian order, the rights of the poor and the persecuted would be safeguarded by the recognition that all authority is derived from God and must be exercised in accordance with His commandments. The failure to do so results in the kind of prolonged suffering and injustice described by the survivors.
The Mockery of Justice in a Godless System
The characterization of the delayed compensation as a “mockery of justice” by Michelle Chaudhry, president of the Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation, is a poignant indictment of the secular state’s inability to deliver true justice. The article states that “many victims died over the years due to inadequate medical care and financial hardship,” a tragic outcome that could have been mitigated by a more responsive and compassionate system. However, compassion divorced from the supernatural virtue of charity, which flows from the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is ultimately insufficient. As Our Lord declared, “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
The bureaucratic obstacles described by the survivors, such as the conversion of the compensation package into a broader endowment fund and the lack of transparency, are typical of secular administrative systems that prioritize efficiency over the dignity of the human person. In contrast, the Church’s social teaching, rooted in the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ, insists that every individual, especially the most vulnerable, must be treated with the respect and solicitude due to a redeemed soul. The delay in aid is not just a financial issue; it is a spiritual one, reflecting a society that has lost sight of the transcendent destiny of man.
The Persecution of Christians and the Failure of Religious Pluralism
The article highlights the ongoing persecution of Christians in Pakistan, including the 2022 murder of Pastor William Siraj and the foiled suicide attack in 2016. These incidents are the inevitable result of a society that, while paying lip service to religious freedom, fails to recognize the unique truth of the Catholic faith and the right of Christ to reign over all nations. The modern concept of religious pluralism, which places all religions on an equal footing, is a direct contradiction of the Catholic doctrine that there is no salvation outside the Church (extra Ecclesiam nulla salus).
The persecution of Christians in Pakistan is not an isolated phenomenon; it is part of a global pattern of violence against the faithful in countries where secularism or false religions dominate. The article’s mention of the Church of Pakistan, a Protestant entity, further underscores the confusion and division that result from the rejection of the one true Church founded by Christ. Only the restoration of the social Kingship of Christ, as advocated by Pius XI, can bring about a society where the rights of all persons, including religious minorities, are truly protected.
The Spiritual Roots of Injustice
The suffering of the Pakistani Christians is a stark reminder of the spiritual roots of injustice. As St. James teaches, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27). The failure of the Pakistani government to provide timely aid to the victims of the All Saints Church bombing is a failure to live up to this basic standard of justice. However, true justice can only be achieved in a society that is ordered according to the divine law and under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The article’s focus on the material aspects of the compensation, while understandable, risks obscuring the deeper spiritual dimension of the tragedy. The victims of the bombing are not merely recipients of financial aid; they are souls in need of prayer, sacramental grace, and the consolations of the true faith. The rebuilding of All Saints Church “at a cost of 4 million rupees ($14,349) without government support” is a testament to the resilience of the Christian community, but it also highlights the absence of the state’s duty to protect and promote the true religion.
Conclusion: The Need for the Restoration of Christ’s Kingship
The delayed compensation for the victims of the All Saints Church bombing is a microcosm of the broader crisis facing the modern world. The secular state, by rejecting the Kingship of Christ, has proven incapable of delivering justice and peace to its citizens. The suffering of the Pakistani Christians is a call to action for all faithful Catholics to work for the restoration of the social Kingship of Christ, as outlined in the encyclical Quas Primas. Only by recognizing the authority of Christ over all nations and all aspects of life can we hope to build a society where justice and mercy prevail.
As Pius XI warned, “When God and Jesus Christ were removed from laws and states and when authority was derived not from God but from men, the foundations of that authority were destroyed.” The tragedy in Peshawar is a vivid illustration of this truth. Let us pray for the victims and their families, and let us redouble our efforts to spread the reign of Christ the King, so that such injustices may never happen again.
Source:
Families of Pakistan church bombing victims call delayed compensation ‘mockery of justice’ (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 05.05.2026