It is with deep gratitude that I stand here today to thank you for organizing this felicitation to honour me on my assumption of office as the Archbishop of Colombo. I take this opportunity also to thank you for recently appointing me as the Chancellor of the University of Colombo. While this latter is an honour conferred on me personally, I consider it more an honour done to the whole Christian community in this country, So have many who felicitated me on the occasion written. I take it so, and thank Your Excellency once more.

Permit me to make reference to two points made in Your Excellency’s speech. The first is your reference to my relationship with the clergy of other religions, especially the Venerable Buddhist clergy. And the other is the reference to the presence of Christianity here in Sri Lanka, with the arrival of the Portuguese.

On the first matter - I have always believed that it is only through a united effort of all religions that we could build a better world, a better society. And this is true more of our own country. This is most true at this juncture of our country’s history when we are struggling to bring peace and prosperity to our battered nation.

As a matter of fact, there need be no conflict among religions if we really and truly follow the tenets of our own religious faiths. There is no religion that advocates evil. All religions basically teach the same tenets of morality. Our beliefs as to what the next world is going to be for us, may be different; but all religions teach in the existence of a world hereafter. The path or the way to make that world better is the doing of good works. Thus, there could be no difficulty in our working together to create a better world, a better society here on earth. In this respect I appreciate the friendship and the very gracious cordiality I have enjoyed from our Buddhist clergy in this country.

Your Excellency made reference also to the presence of Christianity in this country before the arrival of the Portuguese and very ably gave the history of the development of the Church from that time onwards. I congratulate Your Excellency on your knowledge of that period of history. However, we have often been baffled as to why Christianity that had its birth in Asia, with Jesus being an Asian, could have become a religion of the West to be imported here. But recent research has more than proved that there had been an equally strong influx of Christianity also in the East. Christianity has thus come to Syria (presently Iran) and from there to  China, Tibet, Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka among others. The presence of Christianity here, especially during the 5th Century, is an acknowledged fact and some of the recent research is very revealing. Knowing well that this is not to be a discourse in history, I do not want to mention here the details of all that; but I trust there will be more publications regarding these findings in the near future.

I believe this gathering today is an auspicious one. Even though as Christians we are not to believe in auspicious and inauspicious times, I have to say the fact that the leaders of both sectors of governance in this Country today are present here, is a very auspicious sign of our country’s future. And I take it, that this is also an auspicious moment for me to make a very fervent and humble appeal to the two great leaders. I do so not only on behalf of the Catholic community, but on behalf of all persons of goodwill in this country, who are longing for peace. This appeal is especially on behalf of all the people suffering, not only from the ravages of the war, but also from the unbearable burdens of day to day life – poverty, unemployment, lack of law and order, corruption, crime and other such.  I do not for moment blame anyone or any party, be it political or any other.  I would not err on the side of exaggeration, if I say that all that we experience in the country today is an accumulation, in geometric progression, of all that we have been doing in the past. It is the harvest of all that most of us have sown, during the half-century of our national Independence. And there is no way out of this situation until and unless we all get together, led at this juncture of our history especially by the leaders of the two most powerful and leading political coalitions in the country.

To me personally, it appears to be a providential political configuration that the responsibility of pulling out the nation out of this mire, into which it has fallen, devolves primarily on Your Excellency and the Prime Minister. This providential opportunity missed could result in dire calamity. As Shakespeare said “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken in the flood leads on to fortune, omitted all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.” I would add - there is a tide also in the affairs of a country and this moment is the crest of that tide.

I am not talking of a National Government. But as the two great persons to whom the people have entrusted the fate of this country, you are capable of seeing the tragedy of the nation, and could work out the critical areas of concern to strike consensus on these critical issues. Foremost of these for me would be the Peace issue; then that of the economy and health, and the rest would follow. None of these issues, especially that of peace, corruption and lawlessness could be settled, unless there is strength. And strength is not possible without unity. Men and women down the centuries would remember you with proud affection, and your names will be written in gold in the pages of our history, if you be capable of rising up to this occasion.

There is no point in blaming the past. The past is there only to teach us lessons. And the biggest lesson that our past teaches us, is that whenever we were divided we were subjugated. This happened with the Portuguese, the Dutch and with the British. Leave it not, to happen again.

As a Christian leader I would appeal for reconciliation. Let us forget the past and begin a new present with an eye on the future. This is my humble appeal – my appeal on behalf of all men of goodwill.

Salutation By Her Excellency the President Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga

I welcome you all to this simple ceremony this afternoon to felicitate His Grace the Archbishop Most Reverend Oswald Gomis on his elevation to the important position of the Archbishop of Colombo and the Metropolitan Bishop of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.

Christianity was introduced to Sri Lanka with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505. History tells us that a Portuguese fleet commanded by Lourenço de Almeida, son of the Portuguese Viceroy in India, Francisco de Almeida, having been driven by a storm to the shores of Lanka, landed in Colombo.
With the approval of the King of Kotte, Dharma Parãkramabãhu IX (1489-1513), Almeida erected a feitoria or trade station in Colombo. Here he built also a small chapel where the chaplain of the fleet, Friar Vicente, a Franciscan, celebrated Mass, the first Latin Mass on Sri Lankan soil. The chapel was dedicated to St Lawrence, Roman deacon and martyr, Commander Lourenço's patron-saint. It was how St Lawrence became the chief patron of the city of Colombo.
Since that time, the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has played a significant role in the moral and social development of this country.

From the Portuguese period the Catholic Church has been active in the sphere of education. It was also during this period that western medicine was introduced to Sri Lanka.

Sometimes the missionaries themselves distributed medicine among the sick. They also set up hospitals. One in each of the forts of Colombo, Galle and Jaffna, and two on the island of Mannar.

Christianity has a history of harmonious existence with the other religions in Sri Lanka for nearly five hundred years.

In recent times there has been a greater interaction between the Catholic Church and Sri Lanka’s majority religion – Buddhism.

A man who has made an eminent contribution in this regard is the Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis. In 1998, when the Sri Dalada Maligawa was bombed by terrorists, he as the then Bishop of Anuradhapura personally delivered a message from The president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Francis Arinze, to the Mahanayakes of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters.

The warmth, with which the Buddhist clergy treats him, was evident at his installation when large numbers of Buddhist Monks were present at St. Lucia’s Cathedral in Colombo to felicitate him.

His Grace the Archbishop who had his early education at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, has given back to his country in good measure. He has Founded St. Peter’s College, Gampaha - Branch,  St. Joseph’s College, Enderamulla - Branch and Co-founded St. Nicholas’ International College, Colombo. That is certainly a proud record for anyone.

During his years of service in the Archdiocese he was a Lecturer at St. Aloysius’ Seminary, Colombo, Director and Editor of the Catholic Press in Colombo, Editor of the Gnanartha Pradeepaya - Sri Lanka’s National Catholic weekly and the oldest Sinhala newspaper in Sri Lanka, the Founder/Editor of the Lama Pradeepaya Children’s Weekly and Editor of the Duthaya, Catholic National Monthly dedicated to promote Family Life and Culture.

He has also held several ecclesiastical responsibilities. He was the Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo from 1968 to 1996; Bishop of Anuradhapura from January 1996 to July 2002; Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka from 1968 to 1975; Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka from 1975 to 1983 and 1989 to 1995; President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka from 1998.

His Grace the Archbishop of Colombo has for over twenty years held various important secular responsibilities. He was a member of the National Committee for the Restoration of the Jaffna Library and Public Libraries in Sri Lanka under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also headed the Christian Team to the All Party Conference on the Ethnic Issue in 1984.

Archbishop Oswald Gomis is the Secretary General, Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. He is also a member of the Royal Asiatic Society and a member of the Central Committee of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. These are but a few of the areas in which he has distinguished himself in the International sphere.

His Grace has authored several books and made a significant contribution to Sinhala Christian literature in Sri Lanka.

Your Excellencies, members of the Clergy, Ladies and Gentlemen;
the New Archbishop of Colombo is an erudite scholar;
a man of letters;
a man who has distinguished himself in the service of the Catholic Church.
But most of all a simple clergyman who has a great love for his country and made a  noteworthy effort to contribute to peace by forging a greater understanding between the followers of different religions in Sri Lanka.

It is my pleasure to felicitate His Grace the Archbishop –
Most. Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, on his installation as the new Archbishop of Colombo.

Your Grace,

I wish you a long and fruitful service in serving the people of Sri Lanka and the Catholics in particular.

Thank you !