THE LTTE AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF SRI LANKA
Posted on November 7th, 2010
Herman Pathige Watford UK
October 2010ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Monsignor Malcolm Ranjith
Archbishop of Colombo
Bishops House
Borella
Colombo
Sri Lanka
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Reverend Sir
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ THE LTTE AND THE ROMANƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ CATHOLIC CHURCH OF SRI LANKA
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Now that the ethnic war has ended it is interesting to dwell on certain events relating to that tragic conflict from a historical perspective. A fact which has beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ established without a trace of doubt was that the LTTE had a two pronged objective: one to establish a separate state and the other to destroy and destabilize the BuddhistƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ cultural heritage with the encouragement and covert involvement of the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations in Sri Lanka. The Tamil Catholic and Christian clergy no doubt offered covert support to achieve the state of Eelam and continue to do so even though the LTTE is now a spent force and encourages the Tamil Diaspora in foreign countries toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ keep the goal of achieving the state of Eelam as a live issue.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The position of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Roman Catholic Church and the other Christian Churches was clearly explained by Mr. Dixit, a formerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka who stated in his book ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Assignment ColomboƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ( page 228) that the Tamil and Catholic, and Christian Clergy wereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ committed to theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ideal ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Eelam espoused by the LTTE and regarded the LTTE as crusader for freedom despite the overwhelming evidence of crimes committed by ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ them in pursuit of thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aim.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Over a long period of time The Roman Catholic Church and other Christian Churches regarded the ethnic conflict as an issue between the Sinhala Buddhists and the Tamils and not an issue between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka. These churches also regarded Prabhakaran as a humanist and a crusader.
During the Presidential elections in 1999 the Catholic Archbishop of Jaffna requested all Tamil parties opposed to the LTTE to stop campaigning and recognize the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people. In an article in the Asia week (21 November 1997) the Archbishop of Jaffna confirmed the position and offered blessings for the so-called freedom struggle.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The most recent development is the appointment of Father S.J.Emmanuel, a former Vicar General of Jaffna as the head of the Global Tamil Forum ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” a rebranded manifestation of the LTTE. Previously he has been an active member of the LTTE having closely associated with Anton Balasingham and other prominent LTTE leaders. It was Father Emmanuel who persuaded Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa to issue a statement under the symbolic title, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Let my people go: Freedom and Peace in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Reverend Tutu was groomed to become a virulent critic of the Government of Sri Lanka. It was father Emmanuel, you may be aware, who compared Prabakaran to Jesus Christ and declared him as a liberator with a spiritual mission.
Swami Vidyanandan of the Vishva Hindu Parishad of India who visited Sri Lanka some time ago accused the Catholic and the Christian Clergy of playing a major role in fuelling the Tamil separatist conflict. He was of the view that with the conflict escalating the Tamil Hindus will be impoverished leading the Christian missionaries to exploit the situation to convert them to Christianity thought inducements like handouts of money and other means.
As the Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference you, Reverend Sir, when you were the Bishops of Ratnapura diocese conspired with the representatives of Non-Governmental Organisatons to destabilize the country in the guise of a peace campaign. In May 2001 under the leadership of the National Institute for Peace and Unity ( Public Peace Forum) you gave leadership to thirty NGOs to forge a common front to urge the Government to de-proscribe the LTTE and recognize it as a legitimate political movementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ representative of the Tamils.
You are aware of the shameful role of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka to destroy the Sinhala Buddhist heritage (one of the twin objectives of the LTTE) by condoning or adopting an indifferent posture for the following reasons:
-The LTTE always targeted Buddhist Institutions ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” e.g. Sri Maha Bhodiya, Dalada Maligawa but never did they attack Christian churches.
-The LTTE shot dead thirty novice Buddhist priests at Aranthala in Amparai in February 2007.
-Attacks on Buddhist temples in border villages of the Eastern Province
-Cold blooded murder of the Rev Dimbulagala priest, a monk held in great veneration by Tamils and Sinhalese.
-Giving sabbatical leave to Tamil Catholic priests to travel abroad to meet the Tamil Diaspora and take part in demonstrations and speakingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at protest meetings critical of the Sri Lanka Government.
-Inviting Catholic and Christian priests from abroad to visit Sri Lanka and urging them to write adverse reports heavily tilted in favour of the LTTE on alleged human rights violations, turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by the LTTE.
The above facts point to the fact that the Roman Catholic Church of Sri Lanka from the time of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PortugueseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ colonial rule hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ carried outƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a subtle campaign to destroy Buddhism and pave the way for a Catholic Theocratic state.
Even before the Roman Catholic Church gave covert support the following events have established the sinister campaign carried out with the encouragement of the Church to destabilize the Sinhala State:-
Attempted Coup dƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚©tat by Catholic Army, Navy and Civil Servants to de-stabilise the Government ledƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by the late Mrs. Bandaranaike in the 1960s.
Pope John Paul II when he visited Sri Lanka declared that Buddhism is a negative and indifferent religion. This was confirmed by him in one his books, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Crossing the Threshold of HopeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ where there is a chapter on Buddhism which is derogatory.
The Catholic Action Movement initiated by the Roman Catholic Church tried to wield influence to control the commanding heights of the economy and the public sector
Please remember the basic fact that Catholic and other Christian Churches were able to flourish in Sri Lanka and continue to do so because of the tolerance shown by people of Sri Lanka. In keeping with this tradition I wish to remind you of the historical fact that when the Dutch persecuted Catholics in the 17th Century it was the Sinhalese kings who gave them refuge and protected them.
I hope that the above facts would help the Roman Catholic Church of Sri Lanka to adopt a more tolerant attitude to other religions and adopt a more patriotic stance and safeguard the national interest and the sovereigntyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and territorial integrity of the country.
Yours sincerely
Herman Pathige
November 7th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
HERMAN ! Please permit me to make a correction:- The Arantalawa Brutal Massacre of Buddhist Samaneras, was on the 2nd June 1987, by the butchers of the LTTE. They used swords to chop up little children, for they were not Gods little Children.
I was educated in a Catholic College, St. Joseph’s College Colombo, and I greatly respect the Catholic Church, and I have a lot of childhood friends who are staunch catholics. I am proud to say Iam a Josephian. We had beautiful priests, vis-a-vis Rev Fr. Legog, Rev Fr. Peter a. Pillai, Rev. Fr. Nanayakkara, Rev Fr. Noel Perera etc, who were an epitome of kindness. They must be turning in their graves to hear and see their followers with folded arms, and pictures of their LTTE, Terrorist GOD hanging over their heads. These are definitely not Priests of the Catholic Church. The reference to these pictures are reflected below.
I was then Manager, Walker & Greig Ltd Kandy. A personal friend of mine, a News Paper Staff Photographer, Ariyawansa Jayaweera, a very famous personality in Kandy, brought to my desk, the Photographs, of the massacred little Samaneras, 33 of them. There was one little Samanera seated on the ground, with the be-headed HEAD of another little Samanera on his lap and crying. It was a devastating sight. This was one of the contributary factors, that brought about a curse to the PEELAM GOD, whom the Catholic Church worships. If you look at the picture under the caption ‘CARDINAL SINS ‘ you will see some fellows in cassock, with the pictures of GOD hanging over their Heads, and one fellow in a cassock, with the picture of GOD in his hand. It is the Tamil Catholics, who by the grace of THIS GOD, that lead all his cogregation to a swampy death at Nandikadal. If anyone wants to refresh their memory on the pictures, please Google ” Arantalawa Massacre of Little Buddhist Monks ”
Also Google this link:- http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/view topic.php?t=3345.
November 7th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
ronetr,
Don’t bark like a dog . Looks like you went on rampage cutting and pasting the same barking on all articles like a true dog created dog ! You cannot read English. Has the wrtiter written any wrong ? Then discuss that with facts.
November 7th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Over the thirty so years the LTTE terrorists ran amok on our land has one Christian or Catholic organization taken issue with these barbarians or with the Western Christian Powers that funded and protected the LTTE and their front organizaitons? It is their church tills that collected the money that funded the terrorist juggernaut. Has anyone of the one percent Sinhalese, who call themselves, Sinhala Christians or Sinhala Catholics ever taken issue with their churches or with their hierarchy against these dastardly acts of their churches. If there is even a half a dozen my apologies to them!
Every word said against the Christian Church be they Catholic or other in these columns is true. Their target since the times of the despicable Portuguese has been to convert Sri Lanka to a Christian Theocracy. There should not be any dialogue with these cunning foxes now or ever. The fact that they are out to destroy Sinhala Buddhist identity of Sri Lanka cannot be denied. Their efforts towards this end must not be taken lightly.
How they have fooled our rulers starting with King Buveneca Bahu VI till now is history.
November 8th, 2010 at 5:30 am
The poet philosopher journalist and everything else is getting more and more creative (or weird or cowardly) about the identitites and locations he is generating for this website.
Can some one deal with this mad so and so whose real name is Malinda Seneviratne and a former JVP discard) please.
His name includes Peiris and he is not a genuine Sinhala> He has no traction on the Sri Lankan poitical scene and his father didn’t love him either. He is trying his best through weirdness to get some love and attention.
Ugly and mad.
November 8th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Mr. Godage ! Malinde Senewiratne is a Graduate of the Peradeniya University, and very well read. His father is a Civil Servant, and please do not cast aspersions that his father do not love him. His father is proud of his son. Mahinda was recently interviewed recently on Rupavahini. Also please refrain from negative wild insinuations. He is no discard of the JVP. May you be blessed with wisdom.
November 8th, 2010 at 9:58 am
This is an interesting analysis. I too like some of the writers here can justiafiably claim many warm frienships with folks of Catholic faith. However, I have to say religions that believe in a all powerful GOD up above and a hell or heaven after death are facing a difficult time and that is why top rungs of the Catholic Church aim special blasts at ‘Godless’ faiths like Buddhism and Jainism.
Do please excuse their difficulty, Christian churches of many denominations have to carry the added baggage of virgin birth , resurrection and all the anti science activities of the last centuries against the sceintific facts of planetary motion, evolution of species, climate science etc. SOmetime ago folks had to be burned for the sin of reading Bible in the national tongues, and those who carried out the murders are now esteemed Saints.
No doubt some of the organizedsects of the religion try to play the play the role of great humanists protectors of impoverished ethnic minorities, forgetting the great scourges the God delusion has brought on humanity from book burning in the early days, inquisitions, pillage of Latin America and Asia to the complicity in massacres in the more recent times.
Folks with internet access couldspend many hours of enjoyment from watching the likes of Prof. Richard Dawkins, the writer Chris Hutchins in the internet / U tube and also looking at the facts of massacres in Ruwanda one of which was carried out in a church [Nyange] .
November 9th, 2010 at 5:07 am
THE LTTE AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF SRI LANKA – BY Herman Pathige, Watford, UK
THE REMNANT LTTE – ITS DIVERSIONARY FORCE STILL ACTIVE ALIVE & KICKING – THE FORMER GENERAL, SARATH FONSEKA WAS AWARDED A USA “GREENCARD OVER THE COUNTER” TO RENEGADE & BETRAY HIS COUNTRY & HIS COMMANDER IN CHIEF – NOW THAT AN “OVER THE COUNTER- MONSIGNORSHIP” HAS BEEN AWARDED – WE ARE SEEING DISASTEROUS CONSEQUENCES DEVELOPING TO DESTABLIZE AN UNITED SRI LANKA ON A RELIGIOUS FRONT.