Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Fides Service) – There is tension and fear among Catholics in Sri Lanka after recent attacks on Christian communities. In a wave of violence two churches in districts not far from the capital Colombo were torched: St Anthony’s parish in the village of Pannipitiya on 18 January and three days earlier on January 15, St Michael’s at Homagama. However, according to the UK based Christian Solidarity Worldwide association between 24 and 29 December there were no less than 20 incidents involving Christians of various denominations in which 15 people were injured, including a 28 December attack on the Catholic church of Our lady of Lourdes. At the same time in Colombo Buddhists, monks and lay people, staged anti-Christian demonstrations denouncing so-called “fraudulent conversions”, calling on the government to approve special laws to prevent conversions. Christian charity associations such as World Vision accused of proselytism under the guise of social assistance were especially targeted.
Tension between Buddhists and Christians is new to Sri Lanka tormented by conflict between the Sinhalese majority mostly Buddhists and the Tamil minority mostly Hindus in twenty years of civil war. An end was put to hostilities in 2002 and talks between government and Tamil separatists started only to stall in April 2003. Buddhists in Sri Lanka have always promoted a strong nationalist discriminating movement excluding the Tamil minority from political, social, civil and cultural life. The situation exploded in civil war at the beginning of the 1980s.
Now Sri Lanka’s Christians are being targeted. Hostility and protests heightened after the sudden death of leading Buddhist monk Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thero, supporter of fierce Buddhists nationalism, who died unexpectedly in mid December while visiting Russia. Although the official autopsy confirmed heart failure as the cause of death, certain media speculated on the monk’s mysterious death and possible Christian conspiracy. Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thero was the leader of a Buddhist lobby Sasana Sevaka Sangamaya which sees Christian charity works as “tools of diabolic power aimed at converting Sinhalese Buddhists to Christianity ”.
In a statement with regard to the recent anti-Christian violence Archbishop Oswald Gomis, Archbishop of Colombo and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, stated: “This violence must be condemned by all people of good sense. In no way is the Catholic Church involved in fraudulent conversions. And if cases of this type were to arise they should be addressed differently, not with violence which only leads to more violence”. Moreover the Archbishop called on the Island’s civil authorities to take concrete steps to prevent similar incidents.
The Bishops’ Conference also issued a statement condemning all proselytism but defending the right of every individual to change his or her religion. They pointed out that in many Western traditionally Christian countries there are growing numbers of Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus. The Bishops expressed serious concern and firm condemnation with regard to the anti-conversion law which Buddhist lobbies want parliament to pass: “The law, if it were approved, would only polarise society in a religious sense and foster hatred between members of different religions”.
In view of increasing protests and violence the President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Kumaratunga, Sinhalese and Buddhist, warned Buddhists and Sinhalese that incitement of hatred or violence against Christians and Christian places of worship would incur in severe punishment. In a public appeal the President called on the people and the media to promote religious and ethnic harmony
Sri Lanka’s Constitution gives pre-eminent place to Buddhism while guaranteeing believers of other faiths freedom to practice their religion. The Island’s population of 20 million is 65% Buddhist, 15% Hindu, 9% Christian and 9% Muslim.
(PA) (Fides Service 21/1/2004 lines 52 words 619)
