(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday met with a group of Sri Lankan immigrants
living in Italy. The group had come to Rome on the occasion of the 75th
anniversary of the consecration of the Church in Sri Lanka to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The group was led by the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
In his address to the pilgrims, Pope Francis greeted Cardinal Ranjith, and thanked
him for an invitation to visit Sri Lanka. “I welcome this invitation,” the Pope said,
“and I think the Lord will grant us the grace.”
The Holy Father recalled the
circumstances that led to the consecration of Sri Lanka to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In
the midst of the dangers of the Second World War, the Archbishop of Colombo, Jean-Marie
Masson, vowed to build a shrine to the Madonna if the island-nation were preserved
from foreign invasion. After the war, in fulfilment of the vow, the Church in Sri
Lanka built the Shrine of Our Lady of Lanka at Tewatte (outside the capital Colombo).
“Our
Lady is always close to us,” the Pope said, “she looks upon each one of us with maternal
love and accompanies us always on our journey. Do not hesitate to turn to her for
every need, especially when the burden of life with all its problems makes itself
felt.”
Pope Francis spoke about the conflicts that Sri Lanka has faced in recent
years. “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.” He spoke about the need
for reconciliation: “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.”
Concluding his remarks, Pope
Francis assured the pilgrims of his prayers, entrusting them “to the maternal intercession
of Mary, Our Lady of Lanka.”
listen to Christopher Wells' report:
Below,
please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ address to the group from Sri Lanka:
I greet you, dear brothers and sisters of the Sri Lankan community
in Italy! I extend fraternal greetings to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the other Bishops
of your homeland. And I thank Cardinal Ranjith for the invitation to visit Sri Lanka.
I welcome this invitation, and I think the Lord will grant us the grace.
You
have come on pilgrimage to Rome to render homage to Our Lady, at the end of the celebrations
to mark the 75th anniversary of the consecration to her of the Church in
Sri Lanka.
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.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Our Lady is always close to us, she looks upon each one of us with maternal love and
accompanies us always on our journey. Do not hesitate to turn to her for every need,
especially when the burden of life with all its problems makes itself felt.
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, hope for development and hope 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.
I entrust you to the
maternal intercession of Mary, Our Lady of Lanka. I ask you to pray for me and from
my heart I bless you.