In Solidarity with Mannar Bishop
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SINCE FEB 11,1869 THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY O F SRI LANKA WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY June 5th "REGISTERED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POSTS OF SRI LANKA UNDER NO. QD / 11 / NEWS / 2012" Sunday 3rd June 2012 Vol 143 No 22 16 Pages Rs: 25.00 Registered as a newspaper In solidarity with Welcome and Mannar Bishop a farewell safety in the context of serious concerns expressed recently. 3. Condemn the false and malicious allegations made against the Bishop by various individuals and groups, including Government Ministers and n a symbolic gesture, the outgoing Director of the Goverment controlled IColombo Catholic Press, Rev. Fr. Rohan de Alwis hands media and those over the keys of the Press to the new Director, Rev. Fr. sympathetic to the Edrich Rodrigo, at a simple ceremony held last week. Government. Fr. Rohan who formally served as Parish Priest 4. Condemn the efforts of St. Andrew’s Church, Mutwal had been appointed as made to intimidate Director of Caritas-Sethsarana. organizers of this event The new Director, Rev. Fr. Edrich Rodrigo was and attempts by the serving as Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Church, Maharagama, Police to use the prior to his appointment to the Colombo Catholic Press. solidarity meeting was It adopted to: aspirations of the Tamil, judiciary to suppress a Aheld in the premises of 1. Express deep and truth and accountability legitimate and peaceful St. Sebastian’s Church, heartfelt appreciation for the past and activity. Convocation at Mannar, in support of His for the Bishop’s role for continuing abuses 5. Appreciate the large many years as a “voice number of people who Lordship, Rt. Rev. Dr. against the Tamil Bl. Joseph Vaz Theologate for voiceless” to the community. had expressed support, Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of victims of war, solidarity and special he 8th Convocation of Lordship Emmanuel 2. Call on the government Fernando and His Lordship Mannar, last Sunday, (27). especially the political prayers for the Bishop TBlessed Joseph Vaz to ensure the Bishop’s Maxwell Silva. Very Rev. Fr. of Mannar in this Deva Dharma Nikethanaya af�iliated to Daya Welikadaarachchi, the Rector of the Institute the Ponti�ical Urbaniana Subodhi donates general library to Jaffna including non Catholics, welcomed the guests. Sinhalesedifficult andsituation, those University, Rome, was There were 51 students from outside the held recently at the from Colombo and the country and to continue Bonjean Hall of St. branches of Kurunegala, to pray for the good Joseph’s College, Chilaw and Tamil Branch health and courage of Colombo. who received the B. A. Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu The chief guest was His Degree in Christian studies Joseph, Bishop of Eminence Malcolm at the Convocation. For the Mannar. Cardinal Ranjith, Chancellor The most recent of the Institute. The guests students received the attacks on the Bishop arose of honour were His firstDegree. time Rev. four Fr. Tamil Leopold Rathnasekara OMI, lecturer due to his public support Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Spiteri, Apostolic at the National Seminary, for decisive Nuncio, and the two Ampitiya, delivered the action by the PG 2 Auxiliary Bishops, His Convocation Address. Opening of Daham Pasal Building ubodhi lnstitute, The Mayor of symbolized the deep regret SPiliyandala, recently Jaffna received the and sorrow about that donated almost the donation on behalf of the unpardonable act of whole of its general library and the people of vandalism and also the library (all English Jaffna in the presence of sincere desire of the books) on a variety of His Lordship, Rt. Rev. Dr. people of the South to be subjects, to the Jaffna Thomas Savundra reconciled with the people library as a token nayagam, Bishop of Jaffna of the North, so that all gesture of reparation for and the Chief librarian. peoples of the country the wanton damage done Speaking on irrespective of race, to it by the South and as the occasion the Founder- language and geographical a contribution to Director of Subodhi, Fr. location feel equally at rebuilding its collection Mervyn Fernando, said home as children of the of books. that the donation same Mother Lanka. ‘Baptise them in HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY the name of the 3rd June 2012 is Eminence Malcolm Seeduwa Parish, recently. Basil Rajapaksa. Father, Son and HCardinal Ranjith The cost of the The work was blessed and declared construction work completed by Rev. Fr. Basil the open the newly amounted to Rs. 42 lakhs Wickremasinghe, presently constructed 3-Storey which also involved the Parish Priest Seeduwa Holy Spirit’ building of the Daham work of beautifying the before his transfer to the Pasala and Vocational Church. The main sponsor Wattala Parish. Mt: 28: 19 Training Centre of the of the project was Minister Pic. T. Sunil Fernando 2 The Messenger 03rd June 2012 Feast of St. Peregrine Negombo Catholics Madhu Feast Statement issued by celebrated at St. Lawrence's the Catholic National The feast of St. Peregrine, Association of the Laity the Patron Saint (On the Proposed legislation to amend the law relat- of cancer patients, ing to abortion) was celebrated on We are deeply grieved at the proposal made Wednesday 2 May by the Hon. Minister of Women's Affairs to bring in leg- 2012 at St. Law- islation to legalize abortion in the case of rape, incest and major congenital abnormalities in the foetus. It is a rence's Church, "Holy Mother-Our Lady of Madhu is the symbol Wellawatte. The medically accepted fact that life begins with the fertiliza- Novena Mass was tion of the female egg with the male sperm. The human at the feet of Our Lady of Madhu with all their agonies, heart starts beating 3 weeks after fertilization. Brain concelebrated by miseries,of hope, courage, worries peaceand sorrows and unity for andher intercessionthe faithful flock and the Parish Priest, waves are seen in 6 weeks and all organs are formed at solace." 8 weeks. Abortion is ending of pregnancy by killing the Rev. Fr. Bob Ro- So said, Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Perera, Episcopal drigo OMI and the Vicar, Colombo North during Holy Mass at the Madhu Assistant Parish God, our Creator, and therefore, any attempt to destroy Holy Rosary Shrine at the Second Annual Pilgrimage thefoetus. fertilized We Catholics egg is equal firmly to murder.believe that life belongs to Priest, Rev. F. Sam- of the People of Negombo, recently. His Lordship, Most path Perera OMI. A woman has no right to kill the child in her The festive womb. The rights of the mother and the foetus are the Saturday night Vespers' Benediction. equal, and therefore, in the case of rape and incest no Mass was held near Rev. Dr. RayappuFr. Patrick Joseph, said thatBishop agonies of Mannar and sorrowsofficiated are at the statue of St. Peregrine in the open air. one can kill the innocent and defenseless foetus. Rather, common to everyone in this world and when we look the offender should be brought before the law. If we in- During the celebration, Rev. Fr. Bob Rodrigo OMI, an- at the life of the Holy Mother Mary we see a life full of nounced to those present that a devotee had promised duce abortion for birth defects, this would necessarily agony and pain. have a tragic impact on the future of all differently-abled "The Holy Mary drags people out of their ago- children. The proponents of this legislation mistakenly all the way from Italy, as an act of thanksgiving for a nies and intervenes to unite the world about peace and favourto donate received. a statue of St. Peregrine which will I. Mel be flown assume that relaxing the laws on abortion will reduce harmony. complications. Around 20,000 people gathered at the Madhu Rather than attempting to amend the law relat- St. Joseph's College Wattala Shrine with 12 priests to attend the spiritual needs of ing to abortion, the government should take all possible the Negombo Catholics. measures to control more effectively the commission of gets Internet facilities Rev. Fr. S.Emalianuspillai, Parish Priest Madhu criminal offences such as rape and incest by amending Shrine and his assistant Rev. Fr. Augustine Kariyakara- the existing law and introducing more deterrent punish- wana, welcomed the Negombo Catholics at the Shrine ments for these offences. Our Lady of Madhu. The Negombo Catholics got a sepa- In addition to the above course of action, it rate feast at the Madhu Shrine last year. would be in the greater interests of society for the State The organising and all other arrangements to take effective steps to educate the people in regard were made by the Negombo Catholic Madhu Shrine Pil- to congenital abnormalities and provide guidance with grimage Organising Committee. a view to preventing circumstances which lead to such Quintus Perera abnormalities. Yet another constructive step the state could take is to encourage religious and social organiza- Society of Jesus completes tions to establish homes that shower love and affection upon children (both normal as well as with congenital 50 years in Sri Lanka abnormalities) who are unwanted by their parents. It is also known that abortion can cause physi- cal complications in the womb of the woman who un- dergoes an abortion. More over there is convincing evi- dence that a woman who has agreed to an abortion will with internet facilities for the library. tend to suffer from psychiatric disorders, sometimes for ThisSt. Joseph's special College, facility Wattala,was commissioned got five computers by Rev. the rest of her life. Fr. Ranjith Andradi, Rector St. Joseph's College, Wattala. In Sri Lanka abortion may be performed legally Rev. Fr. Ranjith Andradi urged the boys to make full use only to save the life of the mother.