Sri Lanka: Pope Francis Plans To Visit, No Date Set

Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean with history and culture steeped in Buddhism. Roman Catholics make up roughly 6 percent of the island’s inhabitants. According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis addressed a group of Sri Lankan immigrants living in Italy this Saturday and accepted an invitation to visit their homeland.

The Pope’s address commemorated the consecration of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lanka at Tewatte outside of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Pope had this to say about the landmark:

“Seventy-five years ago, the dark clouds of what would be the second world conflict were thickening in the skies and the faithful, guided by a sure intuition of faith, entrusted themselves to Our Lady, who always defends her children from dangers. In 1940, in the dramatic circumstances of the war, the Archbishop of Colombo, Mgr. Jean-Marie Masson, of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, made a vow to build a shrine in honour of Our Lady if the island were preserved from foreign invasion. So it came about, and after the end of the war the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of Lanka at Tewatte was built, and was consecrated forty years ago.”

The Pope’s proposed visit to Sri Lanka, for which no date has been set, comes in conjunction with his approval for the beatification of 124 Korean martyrs. According to The Bangkok Times, Pope Francis hopes to visit South Korea for the beatification ceremony in August. These proposed visits seem to signal a renewed emphasis on the evangelization of Asia for the Vatican. Pope Francis’ predecessor, Benedict XVI did not visit Asia during his eight year pontificate.

Sri Lanka is emerging from a bloody 30-year civil war. Pope Francis called for peace and encouraged the people of Sri Lanka in his address:

“Your homeland is called the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, on account of its natural beauty and its shape. They say that the pearl is formed from the tears of the oyster. Unfortunately, many tears have been shed in recent years, on account of the internal conflict which caused so many victims and so much damage. It is not easy, I know, to heal the wounds and cooperate with yesterday’s enemy to build tomorrow together, but it is the only path that gives hope for the future, for development and for peace. For this reason, I assure you that you have a particular place in my prayer. I ask the Lord to grant you the gift of peace and reconciliation, and to help you in your effort to ensure a better future for all who live in Sri Lanka.”