Bishop asks Christians to speak out against injustice

By Dharisha Bastians

The Anglican Bishop of Colombo Rt. Reverend Dhiloraj Canagasabey called Christians yesterday to be prophets who speak out against unjust systems and repent apathy and the wickedness of the nation, on the occasion of Sri Lanka’s 65th Anniversary of Independence.

 “We acknowledge that we as individuals and as a community have contributed to the decay of good governance throughout history by keeping silence in instances in abuse of power, bribery and corruption,” the Bishop of Colombo said, leading his congregation in a special declaration at the conclusion of the service.

Several hundred cross denominational Christians, civil society leaders, lawyers and the general public, clad in white, attended the two hour trilingual service at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour on Bauddhaloka Mawatha last morning, engaging in a time of meditation, prayer and confession. United Bhikku Front General Secretary and learned monk, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero also attended the prayer service.

The service began with the hoisting of the National Flag and the singing of the national anthem. During the service, quoting from Biblical text, the Anglican priests reflected that Sri Lankans lived in an age when “the law is slack, justice does not go forth, wickedness surrounds the righteous and justice is perverted,” and urged the Christians to repent the sins of apathy and pray for healing to come to the land. “We live in a time of intimidation and suppression, violence and intolerance,” they said. “Don’t lose hope,” the priests reiterated.

Bishop Canagasabey declared a special time of lament on 3 and 4 February to mark what he called “the complete breakdown of the rule of law in the country” following the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake in violation of the constitution.

“We no longer appear to be a constitutional democracy,” the Anglican Bishop said in a pastoral letter on 18 January urging Christians to come forward to speak against the culture of injustice prevailing in the country. “We affirm the value of democratic principles a sense of acceptance and sense of belonging. The right to exercise freedom with responsibility and accountability,” the Bishop declared.

In a reflection during the service, Bishop Canagasabey said that Sri Lanka’s recent history had been marred by acts of injustice, intolerance and violence. Quoting from the Bible, he said that Christ came to give sight not only to the “physically blind, but to those who choose to be blind.”

“When Christians work towards justice, and righteousness, they can plead for justice and righteousness in this country of ours,” said the Anglican Bishop.

“We pray for the leaders of this country, to whom we have entrusted power. We pray that you would change their hearts that they will choose to use their power for good. We pray that you will break the culture of impunity that prevails in this land,” the intercessory prayers during the service said. The Church also prayed for the protection of those who had risked their lives to speak out against injustice. “We make a commitment to reject extremism and violence; we reject all forms of intimidation and marginalisation which leads to unending conflicts that pass on from one generation to the other,” the declaration said.