Pope in Sri Lanka: Huge crowds for Colombo Mass Huge crowds have turned out in the Sri Lankan capital to see Pope Francis celebrate a Mass at which he canonised the nations first saint. The Pope urged people to follow the example of 17th Century missionary Joseph Vaz at the service in Colombo. On Tuesday, the pontiff called for the pursuit of truth to promote justice, healing and unity after years of war. Government forces defeated Tamil rebels in 2009 after 26 years of war, in which both sides were accused of atrocities. The Pope arrived early for the Mass on Wednesday, informally greeting worshippers. Hundreds of thousands showed up for the sea-front service at Galle Face Green, with many lining up from Tuesday to secure a place. In keeping with his message of unity for Sri Lanka, Pope Francis urged its citizens to follow the example of Joseph Vaz and learn to overcome religious differences. The Pope said St Joseph dedicated his life to the gospel message of reconciliation, and showed the importance of transcending religious divisions in the service of peace. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. Each individual must be free alone or in association with others to seek the truth and to openly express his or her religious conviction, he said.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 11:21:36 +0000
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