‘Catholic Church - A most welcome change’ - Revisited
P.J. Perera in the Daily News of 5th February says, “The comments of
the anonymous writer who had written in Tuesdays Daily News (February 3)
could give a wrong impression of Catholics having supported terrorism.
This certainly is not so”.
But as the people are aware ‘this certainly was so’. In the past, the
Catholic Church has always been for a divided Sri Lanka to weaken the
effect of Buddhism and as an attack on Sinhala Buddhists.
The LTTE fully aware of this , highlighted that the struggle in Sri
Lanka was between the Sinhala Buddhists chauvinists and the minority
Tamils.
This was played by them to get the support of the Western Countries
and the International Community to tarnish the image of the Govt.,
Security Forces and the Sinhala Buddhists.
Locally, this was backed by people like Jehan Perera in his articles
to newspapers. Then from the side of the Clergy, we had Dr. Rayappu
Joseph, Bishop of Mannar, who had his sympathies with the LTTE.
As further evidence, here is a quote from an article from The Asia
Week of 21 November 1997, “The Tamils have fought for the right to be
equal citizens. And the LTTE has been at the forefront of this...” Roman
Catholic Bishop, Jaffna.
It is this policy of blatant onesidedness of pointing the finger only
at the Sri Lankan Army and the Sinhala Buddhists and painting
Prabhakaran and the LTTE as “Freedom Fighters” that has eroded the
credibility of the Church. In a letter to an English daily in September
1999, the Christian Patriotic Movement condemned the Christian Clerics
for attempting to demoralise the army and legitimise the killings of the
LTTE.
Further, we are also of aware of many instances when the clergy from
foreign countries were sponsored by the LTTE to visit Sri Lanka and make
derogatory statements at meetings and Newspapers against the Govt. and
the Buddhists in Sri Lanka. One such case was Sister Elizabeth Mackie
from New Zealand who visited Sri Lanka in May 1986 and went around New
Zealand holding meetings to raise funds for the LTTE. However, as for
the present , it is heartening to note that the Catholic Church has made
a U-turn which has to be applauded.
- Dr. P. A. Samaraweera
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