(ANS - Colombo)- Yesterday evening, 12 January, the Holy Father Pope Francis left Rome for Sri Lanka, the first leg of an Asian tour that will take him in the coming days to the Philippines. This will be a busy apostolic visit, in a country where there is a significant Salesian presence.

By Gian Francesco Romano

"My visit is intended as an expression of the Church’s love and concern for all Sri Lankans," the Pope remarked immediately upon landing at Colombo airport. A short time later he said: "Sri Lanka has experienced the horrors of civil strife, and even now is trying to consolidate peace and to heal the wounds of those years."

One of the main reasons for the Pope’s visit to Sri Lanka was precisely to promote reconciliation. The country has just elected a new President and hopes finally to get over the aftermath of the civil war which lasted from 1983 to 2009 and left more than 100,000 dead.

Among other reasons for his visit, there is definitely the care of the small Catholic flock (7.4% of the population) far from the centre of the Church. "As universal pastor of the Catholic Church,” he said, “I have come to meet and encourage the Catholics of this Island, as well as to pray with them." One of the highlights will be the canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz, scheduled for Wednesday 14 January.

Finally, this apostolic visit assumes significance in view of the attention that the Pope wants to dedicate to the Church in Asia - following in the footsteps of his predecessors Paul VI and John Paul II who both went the Philippines and to Sri Lanka. The Asian continent has already been defined by Pope Francis as "the great frontier" of Christianity, and in his meetings during these days there is no doubt that the Pope will try to transmit the joy of the Gospel in those lands.

In the so-called "Pearl of the Indian Ocean" the Salesians have been present since 1956 when they opened the first centre in Negombo. At present there are 81 Salesians on the island – 71 of them indigenous – in 19 locations. At first Sri Lanka was part of the Salesian province of Chennai, India, but became a Vice-Province in 2004 with Saint Joseph as its patron.

The Salesians are in nine dioceses of the country, engaged in the technical education of the young, as well as in the care of parishes, formation and social services for young people at risk.

Published 13/01/2014