Wednesday, 28 May 2014 00:00
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Pontiff will be in Colombo in January 2015
Pope Francis, the Head of the Catholic Church, has confirmed his visit to Sri Lanka in January 2015, the Catholic News Service reported yesterday.
During an inflight news conference on his return to Rome from Jerusalem and the West Bank, the Pope confirmed the visit that has been the subject of unconfirmed reports so far.
No other details of his visit were immediately available.
The visit by the Catholic Leader is likely to highlight outstanding reconciliation issues in the island, as it recovers from a 26-year-war, with the Pontiff likely to focus on healing and reparation in keeping with his people-oriented leadership of the Catholic Church.
Earlier this month the Pope met with the Bishops of Sri Lanka led by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and encouraged the Bishops in their efforts of reconciliation and healing of the nation, after more than 25 years of civil war on the island.
The Church’s efforts at dialogue in Sri Lanka “allow the Church to collaborate more easily with others in securing a lasting peace, and ensure the Church’s freedom in pursuing her proper ends,” the Pope told the nation’s Bishops.
He lamented, however, a rise of religious extremists “promoting a false sense of national unity based on a single religious identity,” who act with intimidation and violence.
“Though these tensions may threaten interreligious and ecumenical relations, the Church in Sri Lanka must remain steadfast in seeking partners in peace and interlocutors in dialogue,” the Catholic News Agency reported.
