Vatican Radio reported on the 3rd May that Pope
Francis met with the Bishops of Sri Lanka, who are in Rome on their Ad Limina
visit .
Following is the full post of
Vatican Radio.
May 3, 2014: Pope Francis on
Saturday encouraged the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka in its effort towards
national reconciliation, saying that even though the nearly 26-year old war
ended in 2009, much needs to be done towards reconciliation, respect for human
rights and true peace. The Pope’s exhortation came in his message to the
bishops of Sri Lanka who met him in a group in the Vatican. The bishops of Sri
Lanka’s 11 dioceses are in Rome on the so-called ‘ad limina’ visit, which heads
of dioceses are required to make every 5 years or so to report on the state of
their jurisdiction. The Pope expressed appreciation for the bishops’ pastoral
letter entitled, Towards Reconciliation and Rebuilding of our Nation, and
said, “Though the war has ended, you rightly note that much work needs to be
done to promote reconciliation, to respect the human rights of all the people
and to overcome the ethnic tensions that remain.” The Holy Father said he
would like to join the bishops in “offering a particular word of consolation
to all those who lost loved ones during the war and remain uncertain as to
their fate.” He encouraged the Christian communities to “remain close to those
who still mourn and suffer the lasting effects of war.”
Appreciating the charitable work
done through caritas he said that it shows forth the merciful face of Christ.
He also appreciated the efforts of the clergy to minister to the family and
said that in their efforts in support of the family, assists not only the
Church, but aids Sri Lankan society as a whole, especially in its efforts for
reconciliation and unity.
Read below the full text of Pope
Francis' address:
Dear Brother Bishops,
It is a great joy for me to
welcome you here on your visit ad Limina Apostolorum, which serves to renew your
communion with the Successor of Peter and provides an opportunity to reflect on
the life of the Church in Sri Lanka. I thank Cardinal Ranjith for his warm
words of greeting from you and from all the faithful of your local Churches. I
ask you to convey my greeting and love to them, and to express my solidarity
and care. I recall with affection my recent meeting in Saint Peter’s Basilica
with members of the Sri Lankan community during the pilgrimage to Rome to mark
the seventy-fifth anniversary of the consecration of your country to the
Blessed Mother. It is my hope for you, dear Brothers, that these days of
reflection and prayer may confirm you in the faith and in knowledge of the many
gifts that you, the priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful have
received in Christ. He also commented on the recent pastoral letter towards
reconciliation and rebuilding of the Nation.
I wish now to share some
reflections with you on this treasure, which is at the heart of our life in the
Church and our mission to society, the beauty and richness of which we saw so
clearly in the Year of Faith. Our faith and the gifts we have received cannot
be stored away, but are meant to be freely shared and to find expression in our
daily lives. For our vocation is to be a “leaven in the midst of humanity …
proclaiming and bringing God’s salvation into our world, which often goes
astray and needs to be encouraged, given hope, and strengthened on the way”
(Evangelii Gaudium, 114). Sri Lanka particularly needs this leaven. After many
years of fighting and bloodshed, the war in your country has finally ended.
Indeed, a new dawn of hope has arisen as people now look to rebuild their lives
and their communities. In response to this, through your recent Pastoral Letter
Towards Reconciliation and Rebuilding of our Nation, you sought to reach out to
all Sri Lankans with a prophetic message inspired by the Gospel that seeks to
accompany them in their trials. Though the war has ended, you rightly note that
much work needs to be done to promote reconciliation, to respect the human
rights of all the people and to overcome the ethnic tensions that remain. I
would like to join you in offering a particular word of consolation to all
those who lost loved ones during the war and remain uncertain as to their fate.
Mindful of Saint Paul’s appeal to bear one another’s burdens (cf. Gal 6:2), may
your communities, steadfast in the faith, remain close to those who still mourn
and suffer the lasting effects of war.
As you have expressed, the
Catholics of Sri Lanka wish to contribute, together with the various elements
of society, to the work of reconciliation and rebuilding. One such contribution
is the promotion of unity. Indeed, as the country seeks to come together and
heal, the Church is uniquely positioned to provide a living image of unity in
the faith as she is blessed to count both Sinhalese and Tamil among her number.
In parishes and schools, in social programmes and other institutions of the
Church, Sinhalese and Tamil find opportunities to live, study, work and worship
together. Through these same entities, especially through parishes and
missions, you also know intimately the concerns and fears of the people,
particularly how they can be marginalized and distrust one another. The
faithful, knowledgeable of the issues that cause tensions between the Sinhalese
and Tamil, can provide an atmosphere of dialogue that seeks to construct a more
just and equitable society.
Another important contribution of
the Church to redevelopment is her charitable work, which shows forth the
merciful face of Christ. Caritas Sri Lanka is to be commended for its outreach
following the 2004 tsunami and for its efforts on behalf of post-war
reconciliation and rebuilding, especially in the most affected regions. The Church
in Sri Lanka also gives generous service in the areas of education, healthcare
and outreach to the poor. While the country has enjoyed increased economic
development, this prophetic witness of service and compassion becomes even more
important: it shows that the poor must not be forgotten nor inequality
permitted to grow. Rather, your ministry and outreach must work for the
inclusion of all in society, because “until exclusion and inequality in society
and between peoples is reversed, it will be impossible to eliminate violence”
(Evangelii Gaudium, 59).
Sri Lanka is a country not only
of rich ethnic diversity, but also of various religious traditions; this
highlights the importance of interreligious and ecumenical dialogue for
fostering mutual knowledge and enrichment. Your efforts in this regard are
commendable and bearing fruit. They 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, especially in educating young people in the faith and
in witnessing freely to Christian life. Sri Lanka has also seen, however, the
rise of religious extremists who, in promoting a false sense of national unity
based on a single religious identity, have created tensions through various
acts of 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. Acts of
intimidation also affect the Catholic community, and so it is ever more
necessary to confirm the people in their faith. The Church’s initiatives in
developing small communities centred on the Word of God and in fostering
popular piety are exemplary ways of assuring the faithful of the closeness of
Christ and his Church to them.
In the important task of
transmitting the faith and of promoting reconciliation and dialogue, you are
aided in the first place by your priests. I join you in thanking God for the
many priestly vocations he has raised up among the faithful of Sri Lanka.
Indeed, the many local priests who serve the People of God are a great blessing
and a direct fruit of the missionary seeds planted long ago. So that your
priests may give worthy service and be true shepherds, I urge you to be
attentive to their human, intellectual, spiritual and pastoral formation, not
only in their years of seminary training, but also throughout their lives of
generous service. Be true fathers to them, attentive to their needs and present
in their lives, recognizing that they often minister in difficult situations
and with limited resources. With you, I thank them for their fidelity and
witness, as I call them to ever greater holiness through prayer and daily
conversion.
I also join you in giving thanks
to Almighty God for the ministry and witness of the consecrated men and women
and all the laity who support and serve the apostolates of the Church and who
faithfully live out their Christian lives. Together with the clergy, and in
communion with you as the Pastors of the local Churches, they show forth the
sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, who transforms the Church and makes us
all a leaven to the world. Their vocation is crucial to the spread of the
Gospel and is increasingly important, especially in the vast rural communities
and in the field of education, where trained catechists are often lacking.
Since the ministry of the Bishop is never carried out in isolation, but always
in concert with all the baptized, I encourage you continue to assist the
faithful in recognizing their gifts and in placing them at the service of the
Church.
Lastly, I appreciate your efforts
to minister to the family, that “fundamental cell of society where we learn to
live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another, …where
parents pass on the faith to their children” (Evangelii Gaudium, 66). The
forthcoming Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will discuss the family
and seek ever new and creative ways in which the Church can support these domestic
churches. In Sri Lanka, the war has left many families displaced and grieving
the death of those closest to them. Many have lost their employment and so
families have been separated as spouses leave their homes to find work. There
is also the great challenge and increasing reality of mixed marriages, which
require greater attention to preparation and assistance to couples in providing
for the faith formation of their children. When we are attentive to our
families and their needs, when we understand their difficulties and hopes, we
strengthen the Church’s witness and proclamation of the Gospel. Particularly by
supporting marital love and fidelity, we help the faithful to live their
vocation freely and joyfully, and we open new generations to the life of Christ
and his Church. Your efforts in support of the family assist not only the
Church, but aid Sri Lankan society as a whole, especially in its efforts for
reconciliation and unity. I urge you, therefore, to be ever vigilant and to
work with governmental authorities and other religious leaders to ensure that
the dignity and primacy of the family is upheld.
With these sentiments, my dear
Brothers, I entrust you to the intercession of Our Lady of Lanka, as I
willingly extend my Apostolic Blessing to you and to all the beloved priests,
consecrated men and women, and lay people of Sri Lanka.
