COLOMBO: Pope Francis arrived Tuesday morning in Colombo to a rousing welcome. Large crowds lined the roads to have a glimpse of the Pontiff who was seated in an open vehicle and often rose to greet the people that had lined the route. Over 20,000 police personnel were deployed on the route taken by the Pope from the airport.
Among the Pope’s engagements in Sri Lanka is performing the Canonization rite of Bl Joseph Vaz, a Goan priest who worked in Sri Lanka in the 17th and 18th centuries. Posters with the pictures of Bl Joseph Vaz and Pope Francis and the Papal Sri Lankan flags adorned the city as also welcome banners from various organizations.
Hectic arrangements continued throughout Tuesday as crowds from across Sri Lanka began pouring in at Galle Face Green for the Canonization mass even before sunset. A special enclosure for about 1000 Goans was being set up. However, the number of Goans from Goa and other parts of the country and abroad, is expected to cross 2000. Also, the attendance at the Pontifical Mass, wherein the Pope will declare Joseph Vaz a Saint of the Catholic Church, is estimated to be much bigger than anticipated.
On Tuesday on his arrival Pope Francis was received by Sri Lanka President M Sirisena and other members of the Cabinet, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo and other Church dignitaries.
The same evening, he met with religious leaders, which included over 1000 Christians, 700 Buddhist monks, 150 Kunakals and 150 Mowlawis.
On Wednesday after the Canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz, the Pope will visit a 450-year-old Shrine at Madu. Madu has been the last resort to many Tamils to save their lives during the troubled years.
The Pope’s visit appears to have been partially eclipsed by the recent election of the new President, which has evoked popular support particularly of the minorities, but newspapers did devote much space for reports on Joseph Vaz and Pope Francis.
The editorial of Daily Mirror of Colombo read, “Welcome to a feet-washing servant leader”. The Government of Sri Lanka has declared a public and bank holiday on Wednesday to honour the Apostle of Sri Lanka and Pope Francis and to enable the people to attend the canonization ceremony.
The visit by Pope John Paul II in 1995 for the beatification of Bl Joseph Vaz had been marked by a boycott of some Buddhist leaders, who resented the Pope’s remarks on their theory of salvation. This visit of Pope Francis is free from any controversies and he is being acclaimed as one of the most charismatic and extremely popular religious leaders.
On Thursday, the Pope will fly to the Philippines on his first visit to the predominantly Catholic country. The biggest crowd ever witnessed to attend a Papal Mass was when St John Paul II visited the Philippines and was estimated at five million. However, the crowd this time is expected to cross six million.
