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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Violation of collective Christian neutrality "Christians awake salute the happy morn The Saviour of the world was born Rise to adore the mystery of love..." We refer to the full-page paid advertisement incorporating a message from the Catholic Archbishop of Colombo to Christians, published in the Sunday Times of 6th November 2005 and other newspapers. This advertisement has been sponsored by SOLO-U an Association sponsored and controlled by Mr. Lalith Kotelawela. The title of the Archbishop's message is the title of a hymn sung during Christmas, a feast that is close at hand. The love and understanding that is used to reflect the ideals of an organisation, is a travesty of the mystery of divine love referred to in this hymn. Since 'love' is the most abused word in the English language we use the Greek word 'agap,' to signify the mystery of divine love. We are shocked and surprised that the Archbishop Gomis has ventured to associate his appeal to Christians with the agenda of SOLO-U an organisation (call it a NGO if you will), which subscribes to a specific business-based ideology that is linked to issues that form the basis on which the Presidential election is to be decided. Our collective experience is that the print media in Sri Lanka is impartially generous in publishing statements issued by religious leaders, whether Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or Christian. In this context we are grieved that the Archbishop has decided to align himself with the ideology of a particular organisation without making a direct and independent appeal to Christians. We are not privy to the circumstances that led his Reverence to take this course of action. If his Reverence says that this was published without his consent we request him to say so through the same media. Wake-Up Call We are fully aware that the North-East war has caused serious loss of human life, property and as such has hindered national progress. It is abundantly clear that the issues, which the Archbishop has raised, though expressed in the form of a riddle, indicate a political preference for one of the candidates for the Presidency. Is it that the government is the only warlike agent in Sri Lanka? Why hasn't the Bishops Conference mediated justly and fairly in this conflict according to Christian principles? We are happy to hear the Archbishop talking of moral degradation, yet we need to remind him that moral degradation has swept across the land due to blind adherence to a lifestyle that is based on the neo-liberal ethic of foreign origin. What, alas happened to the two policemen who pursued a paedophile into deviously imputed foreign territory? Peace Process Was this due to the war? What are the views of the Archbishop about the vulgar billboards and nightspots that are mushrooming in the city, when he talks of moral degradation? Most Sri Lankans, leave alone Christians, who respond to the Archbishop's call will realise that the peace process was and is a chimera. The sincere, attempts made by the GOSL, represented both major parties, to bring about peace, have been spurned and ridiculed. They are still committed to pursue this line of action, at great peril to the integrity and welfare of the nation. The Archbishop refers to 'certain radical elements', without naming them. The radical elements the archbishop has in mind work within the democratic framework, whereas other radical elements that he fails to recognise and mention, work outside that framework. Therefore isn't it patently clear that the Archbishop does not want Christians to vote for a particular candidate whom he dislikes and whose identity though veiled in transparent verbiage is clearly visible. We wish to remind his Reverence that Pope Benedict VI has directed the Bishops of the Philippines to be neutral in the dispute that has arisen in the country in relation to the Presidency. We urge the Archbishop to perform the duties of his office in a transparently neutral manner even at this late stage. We, the signatories to this letter are Christians, who pledge our allegiance to God and the Church, defined as the 'People of God' in the Vatican II documents. While we respect and honour the leaders of that Church in the limited context of what is ephemerally known as the hierarchy, we declare our right to give prior attention to the wake-up call given by our sole Lord and leader Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will always blow where it listeth and it is for each person to discern its path and direction and live according to its bidding. Dr. Mervyn D. de Silva, Eymard de Silva Wijeyeratne, M.N.G.C. Perera . |
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