|
|
|
| Sunday, 18 December 2005 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Christmas message of Catholic Bishops Conference and Religious Superiors : Call for harmony This year we celebrate Christmas at a time when the fragile ceasefire is under severe strain and the prevailing peace seems to be fast receding. We seem to be poised between war and peace. But we cannot abandon hope, for God is sovereign and faithful to his word. He has promised to "give life and life abundantly" (John 10/10) indicating a life full of love, justice and peace. So we are encouraged to be hopeful. We urge the LTTE and the Government to implement the Ceasefire agreement in both letter and spirit. Each party accuses the other of its non-implementation. We appeal that both sides take into account the respective grievances ventilated by the other and pledge to uphold the Ceasefire Agreement fully. We earnestly appeal to the International Community to play a more active role influencing both parties and any other rebel groups who are not a party to the Agreement to respect the ceasefire. We also request the International Community to urge both parties to resume the process of talks for a negotiated political settlement. We appreciate the stand of the new President to start the peace talks afresh. We hope and pray that he would address this issue with a sense of urgency. We have to accept that we have all made errors in the past which have to be rectified and resolved. Peace always goes hand in hand with Justice. Freedom, justice and non-discrimination are the keys to peace in a plural society where different ethnic and religious communities live side by side. The Church upholds the dignity of the human person and stresses the need for freedom-freedom in the religious, the social and the political spheres. In a multi-ethnic society the desires of people to manage their own affairs have to be catered to by a wide measure of devolution of power with constitutional guarantees that such devolution would not be withdrawn or undermind thereafter for reasons of political expediency or ideology. As we reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ we remember the message of the Angels - "Glory to God in the Highest Heaven and Peace to Men and Women of Goodwill (Lk 2/14). Jesus Christ is known as the Prince of Peace. But peace is promised for men and women of goodwill. Hence it is necessary for each one of us to examine our conscience to verify that we are all men and women who show goodwill to others. Christmas challenges everyone of us profoundly to pursue peace by working for justice and reconciliation. Thus it is incumbent on all the people, especially the political leadership to shed their differences and work towards a lasting solution to the problems we are faced with. Christmas is also the time for giving and sharing with the less fortunate. We cannot forget our brothers and sisters in the North, South and East who suffered from the tsunami last December. Thousands of our brothers and sisters died and we remember them in our prayers during this Christmas. We must also expedite our efforts at the rehabilitation of those affected especially those who are still living in temporary shelters. We are happy that the new President has taken certain steps to ameliorate the situation. We must draw the attention of the Government to the tens of thousands of our Tamil and Muslim brethren still living in Refugee Camps in the North and elsewhere in addition to those affected by the tsunami. Our people are also suffering from the spiralling cost of living. Other countries which have also faced the hike in the oil prices in the world market have managed to cope with much lower inflation. We refer to countries like India or Thailand which have coped with the increase in oil prices without serious increases in the cost of living. We feel that the Government must look at all causes for the continuing increase in the cost of living and take urgent remedial actions. Since peace is the core message of all religions we appeal to all religious leaders and all citizens to be peace-makers. "Blessed are the Peace-makers" (Mt. 5/9). In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we wish all our faithful and all our fellow citizens a season filled with peace and harmony. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
