Pope Francis, who began his visit to Sri Lanka today, voiced hopes for “days of friendship, dialogue and solidarity” in the island nation.
“It is my hope that Sri Lanka’s political, religious and cultural leaders, by measuring their every word and action by the good and the healing it will bring, will make a lasting contribution to the material and spiritual progress of the Sri Lankan people,” the Pope said during a welcoming ceremony at the Bandaranaike International Airport this morning (Jan. 13).
The Holy Father was greeted by the newly-elected Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Columbo, and other officials. The ceremony included traditional Sri Lankan songs and dances.
In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Pope Francis said that Sri Lanka’s “natural beauty” has made it known as “the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.”
“Even more importantly, this island is known for the warmth of its people and the rich diversity of their cultural and religious traditions,” he continued.
He said he was visiting for pastoral reasons: to help a country ravaged by civil war for a quarter century rebuild and regain peace.
“It is no easy task to overcome the bitter legacy of injustices, hostility and mistrust left by the conflict. It can only be done by overcoming evil with good and by cultivating those virtues which foster reconciliation, solidarity and peace,” the Pope said.
Pope Francis is the third Pope to visit the country. Pope Paul VI made a visit in 1970, and Pope St. John Paul II visited exactly 20 years ago in 1995.
In his remarks at the welcoming ceremony, Pope Francis said the process of healing and rebuilding is the duty of everyone, with an “essential role” for the followers of all religious traditions.
“Most importantly, they must be prepared to accept one another, to respect legitimate diversities, and learn to live as one family,” he said. “Whenever people listen to one another humbly and openly, their shared values and aspirations become all the more apparent. Diversity is no longer seen as a threat, but as a source of enrichment.”
Rebuilding efforts should not only focus on infrastructure and material needs, Pope Francis said, but also on the dignity of each person in the country.
“In this sense, the great work of rebuilding must embrace improving infrastructures and meeting material needs, but also, and even more importantly, promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society,” he said.
On the Pope’s schedule is a visit to the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in the Tamil region of the country, where he will greet the faithful and pray. The visit could send a strong message of peace and solidarity for the country, the Associated Press reports.
After the ceremony, the Pope’s schedule for the day included an interreligious encounter in the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), which is expected to include two moderate Buddhist leaders.
Pope Francis is also expected to canonize Blessed Joseph Vaz on the morning of Jan. 14th in Colombo.
After his Sri Lankan visit, the Pope will fly to the Philippines, where he will visit through Jan. 19.
Full Speech Delivered by Pope Francis at Welcome Ceremony:
Mr President,
Honourable Government Authorities,
Your Eminence, Your Excellencies,
Dear Friends,
I thank you for your warm welcome. I have looked forward to this visit to Sri Lanka and these days which we will spend together. Sri Lanka is known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean for its natural beauty. Even more importantly, this island is known for the warmth of its people and the rich diversity of their cultural and religious traditions.
Mr President, I extend to you my best wishes for your new responsibilities. I greet thedistinguished members of the government and civil authorities who honour us by their presence. I am especially grateful for the presence of the eminent religious leaders who play so important a role in the life of this country. And of course, I would like to express my appreciation to the faithful, the members of the choir, and the many people who helped make this visit possible. I thank you all, from the heart, for your kindness and hospitality.
My visit to Sri Lanka is primarily pastoral. As the universal pastor of the Catholic Church, I have come to meet, encourage and pray with the Catholic people of this island. A highlight of this visit will be the canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz, whose example of Christian charity and respect for all people, regardless of ethnicity or religion, continues to inspire and teach us today. But my visit is also meant to express the Church’s love and concern for all Sri Lankans, and to confirm the desire of the Catholic community to be an active participant in the life of this society.
It is a continuing tragedy in our world that so many communities are at war with themselves. The inability to reconcile differences and disagreements, whether old or new, has given rise to ethnic and religious tensions, frequently accompanied by outbreaks of violence. Sri Lanka for many years knew the horrors of civil strife, and is now seeking to consolidate peace and to heal the scars of those years. It is no easy task to overcome the bitter legacy of injustices, hostility and mistrust left by the conflict. It can only be done by overcoming evil with good (cf.Rom 12:21) and by cultivating those virtues which foster reconciliation, solidarity and peace. The process of healing also needs to include the pursuit of truth, not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity.
Dear friends, I am convinced that the followers of the various religious traditions have an essential role to play in the delicate process of reconciliation and rebuilding which is taking place in this country. For that process to succeed, all members of society must work together; all must have a voice. All must be free to express their concerns, their needs, their aspirations and their fears. Most importantly, they must be prepared to accept one another, to respect legitimate diversities, and learn to live as one family.
Whenever people listen to one another humbly and openly, their shared values and aspirations become all the more apparent. Diversity is no longer seen as a threat, but as a source of enrichment. The path to justice, reconciliation and social harmony becomes all the more clearly seen.
In this sense, the great work of rebuilding must embrace improving infrastructures and meeting material needs, but also, and even more importantly, promoting human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society. It is my hope that Sri Lanka’s political, religious and cultural leaders, by measuring their every word and action by the good and the healing it will bring, will make a lasting contribution to the material and spiritual progress of the Sri Lankan people.
Mr President, dear friends, I thank you once again for your welcome. May these days we spend together be days of friendship, dialogue and solidarity. I invoke an abundance of God’s blessings upon Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, and I pray that its beauty may shine forth in the prosperity and peace of all its people.
