Pope Francis begins Asia trip in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (3rd UPDATE) – Pope Francis arrived in Sri Lanka Tuesday, January 13, bearing a a message of peace and reconciliation among different faiths on the war-torn island as he began a two-nation Asia tour.

His visit, days after the surprise election of a new president, will focus on unity in a country still struggling to heal the wounds of a decades-long civil war that pitted government troops against Tamil separatist rebels.

The Argentine pope’s second visit to Asia will also take in the Philippines, a bastion of Christianity in the region, where he is set to attract one of the biggest gatherings ever for a head of the Catholic Church.

But in mostly Buddhist Sri Lanka, which has seen a rise in religious violence in recent years, he will focus on the role of the Catholic Church in a diverse society.

Only around 6% of the country’s 20 million people is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil ethnic groups.

A smiling Francis was met on the tarmac by Sri Lanka’s new President Maithripala Sirisena before meeting Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim leaders in Colombo.

Sirisena has pledged to protect religious freedoms and promised a new culture of tolerance on the island which was devastated by a 37-year ethnic conflict which ended in 2009.

A group of Muslim schoolgirls was among the flag-waving well-wishers at the airport to greet him, and traditional Sri Lankan dancers lined the red carpet.

On Wednesday, January 14, he will hold a public mass on the seafront that is expected to attract around a million people during which he will canonize Sri Lanka’s first saint, a 17th Century missionary.

He will also visit a small church in the jungle that was on the front line of the conflict between government troops and separatist Tamil rebels that killed around 100,000 people and and only ended five years ago.

The Our Lady of Madhu church in the mainly Tamil north of the country provided sanctuary during the fighting, and is now a pilgrimage destination for Christians from across the ethnic divide.

Special interest in Asia

The Pope’s trip comes just 5 months after he visited South Korea, signaling the huge importance the Vatican places on Asia and its potential for more followers.

The region holds a special interest for Pope Francis, who as a young priest considered becoming a missionary in Japan.

On Thursday, January 15, he will fly on to the Philippines, where anticipation has been building for months, with the pope dominating the media and sparking a merchandise frenzy.  

The Philippines is one of the Church’s modern success stories, counting roughly 80% of the former Spanish colony’s 100 million people as Catholics, which has helped to offset waning influence in Europe and the United States. 

He will meet survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), which claimed 7,350 lives when it destroyed entire farming and fishing communities in 2013.

The pope will give a mass to tens of thousands of survivors at the airport in Tacloban, one of the worst-hit cities. (READ: Leyte trip is Pope Francis’ priority, says CBCP head)

Security will be a major issue throughout the pontiff’s Asia trip.

In Sri Lanka, religious violence has risen in recent years, with attacks on mosques and some churches by nationalist Buddhist groups who say minorities have undue influence on the island.

The army said troops had been placed on stand by, although police will be taking the lead in a country where a military presence remains sensitive.

Emergency medical units were being placed along the route from the airport to the city center, which is expected to be lined with well-wishers.

Francis is the first pope to visit the country since John Paul II two decades ago. Buddhist monks boycotted his visit over controversial remarks John Paul made in his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope. – Rappler.com