Vatican praises Lanka's religious amity
Historic meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and
President Mahinda Rajapaksa
VATICAN: The Vatican has expressed its satisfaction on the
religious amity in Sri Lanka and especially the absence of any religious
conflicts for more than 500 years.
These sentiments were conveyed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by
Cardinal Tarcisco Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, following the
President's historic one on one meeting with His Holiness Pope Benedict
XVI.
This was the first meeting between the Pope and a Head of State of
Sri Lanka. The private audience of 20 minutes took place at the Papal
Library in the Vatican Palace, after President Rajapaksa was greeted by
the Pope at the historic room of Saints Peter and Paul.
The President had a friendly and cordial exchange of views regarding
the situation prevailing in Sri Lanka with Cardinal Bertone. In response
to the interest in developments in Sri Lanka expressed by the Cardinal,
President Rajapaksa explained that the problem in Sri Lanka was not an
ethnic or religious conflict but a terrorist problem.
He said the Government was fully committed to a negotiated settlement
to the matters regarding the rights of the minorities and that the
Government did not believe in any military solution to the issue. The
President said whatever military action being taken by the Government
was meant to contain the threat posed by terrorism.
President Rajapaksa further explained that the All Party
Representative Committee (APRC) was deliberating on proposals for a
negotiated settlement and that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party will shortly
present its own proposals to the APRC on power sharing.
In response to a request by Cardinal Bertone, that facilities be
allowed for pilgrims to have easy access to the Madhu Church, President
Rajapaksa said he was eager to provide such facilities, but was faced
with Madhu Church being in an area temporarily under LTTE control.
President Rajapaksa explained that as Prime Minister he too had
wanted to visit the Madhu Shrine, but the LTTE had objected to his
coming there with his official security. Eventually, he had not gone to
the Madhu Church in a situation where he was refused his security
personnel.
The visit of President Rajapaksa to the Vatican was marked by the
pageantry associated with ceremonies related to the visit of Heads of
State to the Vatican. Members of the Vatican's Swiss Guards provided a
guard of honour to the President at the courtyard of the Vatican.
The President who was met by Monsignor Michael Harvey, Prefect of the
Papal Household, was later escorted into the Vatican Palace by the Swiss
Guards, Cardinals and Chevaliers of the Holy See.
After the Papal Audience, President Rajapaksa gifted the Pope with an
ornamental silver goblet (kendiya) engraved with traditional motifs.
The Pope gifted the President with a golden medal as a memento of the
visit. Later the members of the visiting delegation from Sri Lanka were
introduced to the Pope by the President.
President Rajapaksa, the First Lady and the delegation from Sri Lanka
were later taken on a special tour of St. Peter's Basilica, led by
Archbishop Dr. Malcolm Ranjith, Head of the Vatican's Congregation of
the Liturgy, where the President and members of the delegation viewed
Michelangelo's sculpture of the "Pieta", the sepulchre of St. Peter, the
tomb of Pope John Paul II and other historic monuments.
The other members of the Sri Lankan delegation were Cabinet Ministers
Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Felix Perera, Milroy Fernando, Rohitha
Bogollagama, Deputy Ministers Neomal Perera and Sarath Kumara Gunaratne,
Minister of State Dayasritha Tissera and Victor Perera, Member Wayamba
Provincial Council. |