Sri Lankan Catholics pray for ‘illegal’ fisherman from India.

(April 13, 2011) Tensions have heightened in Sri Lanka over illegal fishing off the Jaffna Peninsula, but this did not deter local Catholics on Sunday, from remembering one suspected illegal fisherman from India, whose body was found washed ashore in the country. Xavier Victus had been missing since April 2 along with three other Indian fishermen, who are still listed as missing. The Sri Lankan navy found Victus’ body on April 6 and took it to Jaffna city. Later, a group of relatives came from India to identify the body, before it was buried in the main cemetery with the help of local Catholic fishermen.
At the request of Indian fishermen, Catholics held a memorial service and funeral rights for Victus, and prayed for the safety of the other missing fishermen at a Mass held on Sunday at St James Church in Jaffna. “We are close to Indian people, but Indian fishermen being killed, or going missing in Sri Lankan waters, is causing a rift between India and Sri Lanka,” said Fr. Roman Nesarajah, the parish priest of St. James Church.
A series of recent spats over the deaths of illegal fishermen has soured relations between India and Sri Lanka. Both governments have called for restraint when dealing with the issue of illegal fishing in the strait dividing the two countries.