Pakistan: Priest-Principal Thanks Sindh Government for Postponing Exams During Holy Week
A Catholic priest and school principal has thanked the Sindh provincial government for postponing board examinations that were originally scheduled during Holy Week.
Fr. Mario Angelo Rodrigues, a priest of the Archdiocese of Karachi and principal of St. Patrick’s High School in Karachi, expressed gratitude to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the provincial Education Department for rescheduling the Grade 9 and 10 board examinations.
“I am grateful to the Chief Minister of Sindh and his Education Minister for their quick response to my request to postpone the board examinations scheduled for students of Grades 9 and 10 during the holy week,” Fr. Rodrigues said in a message sent to RVA on March 4.
Fr. Rodrigues acted immediately after reviewing the examination schedule.
“When I saw that the examinations were scheduled during Holy Week, including Easter Monday, I met the Chief Minister and submitted a written request,” he explained. “I also explained the importance of Holy Week during the Lenten season and Easter celebrations and the obligation of Christian students to participate in Holy Masses and religious services, especially on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.”
He said that the government's decision would now allow Christian students to observe the most sacred days of their faith without academic pressure.
“Holy Week is the most important time for Christians around the world to reflect on the great sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Fr. Rodrigues added.
On February 23, 2026, the Chief Minister’s Office directed all educational boards in Sindh Province to ensure that no examination would be scheduled during the Holy Week. The Education Department ordered the immediate implementation of the directive and instructed boards to resume examinations from April 7.
The move has been welcomed by the Christian community in Sindh as a gesture of respect for religious observances in the predominantly Muslim country.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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