The word of the Pope, from arrival to departure to tweet
Pope Francis came to Sri Lanka to inspire and pray with the country’s Catholics. But he also used the visit to deliver some unambiguous messages about truth, justice and unity transcending religious and ethnic confines.
The tone was set on the apron at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Tuesday. The Pope descended from an Alitalia aircraft to an exuberant welcome by multicultural dancers and drummers. The red carpet was flanked by schoolchildren. A choir sang in Sinhala, Tamil, English and Italian. Just five days into his presidency, Maithripala Sirisena welcomed the Pope’s presence as a blessing. His government aimed to promote post-war dialogue and reconciliation among people, he said, and the Holy Father’s visit would contribute towards domestic efforts.
Pope Francis accepted that it was not easy to “overcome the bitter legacy of injustices, hos- tility and mistrust left by the conflict”. “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,” he said. “All must have a voice,” the Pope said. “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.”
The Pope broached difficult and sensitive subjects in each of his public speeches. At an inter-religious meeting on the evening of his arrival, he conveyed the Catholic Church’s respect for the traditions and beliefs of other faiths.
“What is needed now is healing and unity, not further conflict and division,” Pope Francis said. Men and women did not have to forsake their identity, whether ethnic or re- ligious, in order to live in harmony with their brothers and sisters. The Pope’s conciliatory words were especially significant in an environment of simmering tensions about unethical conversion. He also addressed the issue of religious violence—something Sri Lanka has experienced in recent months. “For the sake of peace, religious beliefs must never be allowed to be abused in the cause of violence and war,” he stressed.“We must be clear and unequivocal in challenging our communities to live fully the tenets of peace and coexistence found in each religion, and to denounce acts of violence when they are committed.”
The Pope’s most moving speech was made to devotees at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in Mannar. Most of them were war-afflicted Tamils but he made no distinction between races. “There are families here today which suffered greatly in the long con- flict which tore open the heart of Sri Lanka,” he said. “Many people, from north and south alike, were killed in the terrible violence and bloodshed of those years.” Using the example of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who forgave her son’s killers at the foot of the Cross, Pope Francis called for “true remorse and true repentance”. “Only then can we receive the grace to approach one another in true contrition, offering and seeking true forgiveness.” And he prayed for Mother Mary “to accompany with her prayers the efforts of Sri Lankans from both Tamil and Sinhalese speaking communities to rebuild the unity with was lost”.
Shortly before he left, the Pope tweeted “May God bless and protect Sri Lanka” in English, Sinhala and Tamil from his official twitter account @pontifex. From arrival to departure, he remained faithful to his core message of unity in diversity.