Christian Perspectives

Silver Jubilee of Lankarama:

National Secretariat of Catholic Bishops

The Catholic Church that had only three dioceses, namely Colombo as the Metropolitan See with two suffragan dioceses of Jaffna and Kandy in 1883, has now grown into eleven dioceses. The other dioceses are Chilaw, Galle, Trinco-Batticaloa, Mannar, Badulla, Anuradhapura, Ratnapura and Kurunegala. In addition to a bishop for each diocese there are two auxiliary bishops for the dioceses of Colombo and Trinco-Batticaloa, said Rev. Fr. Leopold Ratnasekera OMI, interviewed by M. R. Nihal Perera on the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Sri Lanka Catholic Bishop's Conference.

The first President of the Catholic Bishop's Conference was His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Cooray OMI who was Colombo's first Sri Lankan Archbishop and the first Sri Lankan Cardinal. Within the Bishops' Conference, a bishop can hold a particular office for two consecutive terms of three years each as President, Secretary General and Chairman or Vice-Chairman of a particular Catholic Commission of which there are nine such Commissions such as the one for Education and Catechetics, Justice and Peace, Social Communications etc. However, there has been an exception to this with Most Rev. Frank-Marcus Frenando, the recently deceased Bishop-Emeritus of Chilaw who was President for a period of nine-years (1980-1989).

Speaking about the Silver Jubilee of Lankarama, it would be holding back a secret, if I do not mention Most. Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, who as Auxiliary bishop of Colombo and Secretary General of the Conference was responsible for the construction of this imposing building, commencing in August 1982 and later blessed and opened by the then Apostolic Nuncio Most Rev. Archbishop Ambrosio de Paoli in October 1984.

Question: Although you traced the history of the Bishop's Secretariat in such brief terms, what are the many more facts about the apparently silent activities of Lankarama.

Answer: Your impression is quite correct. The Secretariat always works without much noise. We know that it was the teaching of Jesus Christ the Lord, that in all what you do, your left hand should not know what your right hand is about. This has been generally our way of procedure. But as you said, it is my impression that the time has come for us to bring to the notice of the public at least a few of the important activities we do specially in the context of mass media communications through which this publicity can easily be reached. We could perhaps achieve this in relation to the Plenary Session of the Conference which is to take place these days.

Question: Does this mean that what Jesus Christ the Lord revealed is not relevant to the social conditions of today?

Answer: No, not at all. The vision of Christ is always valid and relevant, to the present and future and to all eternity. For example, following the tsunami disaster, the Catholic Church through its social arm which is the National Caritas-SEDEC institution with its branches in every diocese and partners all over the world constructed over 10,000 brand new houses for the victims and repaired thousands of others. The Catholic Church is very much active in working among the nearly two to two and a half lakhs of IDPs who are languishing in the various camps in the Wanni and Jaffna. We provide them with shelters, food items, clothing and psychological support ever since this tragedy struck the innocent civilians in the North. About these matters not only are the Sri Lankans ignorant, but even our own Catholics. However, it might now be good to bring these facts to the open so that the public may become aware of our concern for the needs of the country and its suffering peoples.

To explain to you further, at every Plenary session of the Bishops, we do not fail to discuss the current situation of the country as the very first item of the Agenda and quite a lot of time is spent in listening to the bishops who come from the conflict areas and a due response is prepared to meet the challenges that emerge from these conversations. This shows that the Church is quite attentive to what is happening in the country and wishes to be close to the people.

It is true that His Excellency the President had to take the very difficult decision to take on a military path to crush terrorism. However, from the very start, the Bishops were clearly insistent on a strategic plan for a politically negotiated settlement for the ethnic question. We have made this public in practically all the Easter and Christmas messages that have been issued for the last three decades.

At present, our considered and unanimous view is that politicians have a historical role to play in bringing normalcy and development into our motherland and that they must forget their petty political differences and vested interests and join hands in forging this important national effort. Their leadership in this matter is crucial. I would like to emphasize that the Catholic Church is all for this national effort of peace, development and reconciliation and that it will stand by this position unreservedly and help in whatever way possible for this path to be pursued.

Question: What is the role of the Apostolic Nuncio who is both the Vatican Ambassador to the State of Sri Lanka and the Pope's personal Representative for the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka?

Answer: The office of the Apostolic Nuncio is something linked to the State-Relations between Sri Lanka and the Vatican City of which the Pope is the Sovereign. The Vatican also enjoys full membership in the UNO as any other State. So, the Apostolic Nuncio maintains diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Sri Lanka and also helps in matters concerning the Church of Sri Lanka vis-a-vis the State in important matters that pertain to the independence of Church's life and activity and our religious freedom.

The period of office of the Apostolic Nuncio is usually five years. In connection with this, I must specially mention His Excellency Archbishop Mario Zenari now placed in Damascus, who was much involved with the national crisis with the war-situation aggravating during his period of office from 2004-2009. He did all that was diplomatically possible to maintain respect for international law during the various phases of the war. He was much concerned with the war that spread into the sacred area of the Madhu shrine as well and did much to save the sanctuary from being caught in the war scenario.

In the same way, the arrival of His Excellency Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, the new Apostolic Nuncio, who is Maltese and ordained bishop in Malta before coming here, is also very significant.

He himself has said about his future work in Sri Lanka, that he would be very much interested in being involved in helping the Church in its rehabilitation activities in favour of the IDPs and to contribute his share in the peace and reconciliatory efforts in the country, so that a united country may emerge and a stable peace as well as paths of true progress be ensured.

Question: How would you visualize this discussion at the present Plenary Meeting in the context of Sri Lanka being in a post-war era with its accompanying challenges?

Answer: It is true that three decades of war have come to an end. We also know that following the war, even now there still languishes a multitude of more than two and a half lakhs of IDPs. As I said, the Catholic Church is doing its utmost to relieve the agony and the sufferings of these people. The earnest wish and prayer of the Catholic Bishops Conference is that these people have the opportunity of leaving these camps as soon as possible, rejoin their families and be able to get back to their villages, employment and their normal civil life. For this, we must encourage the authorities responsible to speed up this process. The Church is ready to do its utmost in assisting them, also to get the help of all the citizens of this country and the world outside to give a helping hand. As usual, this matter will come up again as the Bishops will review the present situation on peace and the IDPs. I pray that God Almighty and Our Lady of Madhu intercede in their humble efforts and decisions to come to the solace of our countrymen.

Question: Now, could you tell me briefly about your own journey up to this point as Assistant Secretary General of the Bishops' Conference?

Answer: I received my priestly ordination in 1966. After a brief spell of preaching ministry, I returned to the work of teaching at our National Seminary, Ampitiya (Kandy) and was also involved in priestly formation work till 2002. In between I have been in Rome and Paris pursuing post-graduate studies and earning a Licentiate in Theology (1975) and a Doctoral Degree in Philosophy (2006) from two universities in Rome and also a doctoral degree in Theology from the Catholic University of Paris (1977). Before I took over this office, I was Secretary to my OMI Superior General in Rome for four years. At present, in addition to my present duties, I am also a member of the Congress of Religions and the Deputy Secretary of the Sri Lanka chapter of the World Conference of Religions for Peace which has its headquarters in New York.

Weekly Devotions

Deep trust in God makes you happy

Genesis 37.

Joseph was an easy target for his brothers' jealousy.

At 17 years of age Joseph was in the habit of sneaking about his brothers to his father.

His father too helped in keeping the flames of jealousy going by openly favouring Joseph and to top it all gifts him with this gaudy coat of many colours which was an eyesore to the brothers.

Adding fuel to the flames, Joseph has two dreams, all the two dreams lifting him up above his family was just too much for his brothers to handle.

I also suspect that Joseph was good looking and had an air of confidence about him. These were good qualities, however, even these could have aroused the jealousy even more where his brothers were concerned.

All in all the family situation does not seem healthy and was bound to erupt - which it did.

The jealous feelings prevailing in the hearts of his brothers led to nearly killing him. Two out of the eight brothers planning to kill him were sympathetic (Reuban and Judah). Benjamin, being the youngest was out of the scene. Sometimes, some of us too are subject to jouvenile jealous feelings brought about from early stages of our lives. May be consciously or unconsciously your parents favoured you which was the root cause of this feeling cropping up in the first place.

May be you were good looking and had an easy manner about you which actually worked against you. Of course you are not to be blamed for this.

What should have been a plus point actually brought about more animosity amongst your brothers and sisters.

As a child and teenager, perhaps you too played on these feelings and annoyed and grassed on your brothers and sisters, bringing about a real breach in your relationship with them.

Now that you are older you feel rejected and alienated although you long for the relationship to be restored.

If that be the case take heart, because when you read the life of Joseph, amongst all these adversities, here was one thing that Joseph did that was pleasing to God.

He had a deep trust in God and his happy composition never changed as a result, because deep within him Joseph knew that God loved him and he was special and precious in His sight.

If you trust in God and get rooted in His love the whole world can reject you but you will be guided and kept safe.

What's more, as the word of God promises, if our hearts are towards Him, He will certainly give us the desires of our hearts and one day just like how it happened in Joseph's life, you too will be re-united and your relationship with your siblings healed by Christ.

Prayer :

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you that for every life's problems there is a solution in your word. Even as I relate my life to the life of Joseph, bring about healing to this situation that I am in.

Forgive me if I have wronged my brothers and sisters and Lord heal this jealousy that burns within them and teach me to forgive them. Lord, bring about a re-union and mend our relationship I pray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Sunitha Sahayam

Fragment of world's oldest Bible discovered in Egypt

A fragment of the world's oldest Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, has been uncovered hidden underneath the binding of an 18th century book in an Egyptian monastery, a news reports said.

British based Greek academic, Nikolas Sarris, spotted a previously unseen section of the Codex Sinaiticus, which dates from about AD350, as he was trawling through photographs of a series of book bindings from the 18th century in the library of St Catherine's Monastery in Egypt, UK's The Independent and the Telegraph reported.

Over the centuries, antique parchment was often re-used by St Catherine's monks in book bindings because of its strength and the relative difficulty of finding fresh parchment in such a remote corner of the world. The 30 year old student conservator, who has been involved in the British library's project to digitise the Codex, said he almost instantly noticed the distinct Greek lettering visible in a section of a book binding, The Independent said.

"Although it is not my area of expertise, I had helped with the online project so the Codex had been heavily imprinted in my memory," Sarris said. "I began checking the height of the letters and the columns and quickly realized we were looking at an unseen part of the Codex." He then emailed Father Justin, the monastery's librarian, to suggest a closer look.

"Even if there is a one in a million possibility that it could be a Sinaiticus fragment that has escaped our attention, I thought it would be best to say it rather than dismiss it," he told The Independent. Speaking to The Art Newspaper, Father Justin said the monastery would use scanners to look more closely at how much of the fragment existed under the newer book binding.

"Modern technology should allow us to examine the binding in a non-invasive manner," he said.

Along with the Codex Vaticanus, the Codex Sinaiticus is considered the oldest known Bible in the world. EW

Rt.Rev.Dr. Frank Marcus Fernando:

A comforting shepherd of dedication

Rt.Rev.Dr. Frank Marcus Fernando, the Bishop Emeritus of Chilaw, bade farewell to his earthly life on August 24.

He was ordained a Bishop in 1965, at the young age of 34 (perhaps one of the youngest in the world to be raised to the episcopate of the Catholic Church in contemparory times)., and was appointed the Bishop of Chilaw in 1972. He retired on 26th October 2006 on reaching the age of 75. He looked forward to his retirement in order to embark on a special mission that was so dear to him. It was the writing of sermon notes for the three year Liturgical Cycle which he strongly felt would bring us closer to Lord Jesus whom he loved so passionately. He wanted to accomplish this task as a sign of his tremendous love and unfailing gratitude to Jesus who was the source of his strength and selfless shepherding.

His episcopate of 34 years long as the Bishop of Chilaw was exemplary. He was a holy bishop, an eloquent preacher (aptly referred to as the "Fulton Sheen of Sri Lanka") a courageous and an inspiring leader, protector of the environment, voice of the voiceless, an indefatigable defender of the Church and above all the "good shepherd" (in true biblical sense) of the Catholic community of the diocese of Chilaw.

He did not hesitate to call a spade a spade. He was truly a prophetic voice. His leadership was not confined to the diocese of Chilaw.

He gave tremendous leadership to the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka serving in various capacities including that of the Presidency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference for many years.

Victor Silva

Feast of Our Lady of Matara

A.W. Gunawardhana Matara Central Correspondent

The Annual Festival Celebration of St. Mary's Church Beach road Kotuwegoda, Matara commenced on September 03 at 4.30 p.m. with the hoisting of flags. Daily noveenas were conducted with the participation of Rev. Fr. Charles Hewawasam Parish Priest of the Shrine of Our Lady of Matara.

The vespers will be sung today. Today's program 3.30 p.m. welcome for Bishop and Rev. Fathers, 5 p.m. Rosary. At 6 p.m. procession will parade the streets. Bishop of Kurunegala Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera and Apostolic Nuncio Most. Rev. Joseph Spiteri will participate.

Tomorrow Holy Masses will be from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. The festive high mass will be 8 a.m. Bishop of Kurunegala Rt. Rev. Dr. Herold Anthony Perera and apostolic Nuncio - Most. Rev. Joseph Spiteri will participate.

There will be a Holy Mass at 11.30 a.m. for the late arrivals.