Pope
Francis has called for respect for human rights, inclusivity, and the
"pursuit of truth" as he started a six-day Asian tour in Sri Lanka. The
pontiff, who will later travel to the Philippines, plans to celebrate
open-air masses during his trip. Continue..
It is
the first papal visit to Sri Lanka since the end of a four-decade civil war in
2009.
The
country's new president has promised an end to growing repression of religious
minorities.
Speaking
on the tarmac of Colombo's international airport shortly after he landed, the
Pope said that peace could be found by "cultivating those virtues which
foster reconciliation, solidarity and peace".
Rebuilding
Sri Lanka was more than just improving infrastructure, he
said, "but also, and even more importantly, promoting human dignity,
respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of
society".
He also
said that the "pursuit of truth" was important, "not for the
sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting
justice, healing and unity".
Sri
Lanka has seen strife between the minority Tamils and the majority Sinhalese.
The separatist rebels of the Tamil Tigers fought for decades for independence,
citing discrimination by the government, and the civil war ended in 2009. The United Nations said both sides committed
atrocities against civilians.
All along the 20 km highway
leading up to the airport crowds have gathered on both sides of the road to
catch a glimpse of Pope Francis.
Some
have opened up umbrellas, a few elderly have brought portable seats along as
they wait under the hot Colombo sun.
Lalith
and Therese Fernando, a couple from Chilau that is nearly 100 km (60 miles)
from here, took a train at 5am this morning to be here."It's a once in a
lifetime opportunity," Lalith tells me.
At the
airport Pope Francis has been received by the country's new President
Maithripala Sirisena.
Just under 10% of Sri Lanka's
population are Catholic - but they include both Sinhalese and Tamils. Around
70% of Sri Lankans are Buddhist, with 13% Hindus and 10% Muslims.
During
the last papal visit 20 years ago, Pope John Paul II was boycotted by Buddhist
leaders. But on this visit, the Pope is expected to hold a multi-faith prayer
meeting which should include moderate Buddhist representatives.
The
BBC's religious affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt says Buddhist
fundamentalism has grown as a force in Sri Lanka since the last papal visit,
with some waging a violent campaign against Muslims on the island.
Pope
Francis wants to encourage the local church to seek partners in peace, so
that all religions can stand united against any further violence or
intimidation by religious extremists, says our correspondent.
It is a
time of significant change in Sri Lanka, where Maithripala Sirisena took office
as president on Friday.
He
ended the decade-long rule of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a period
which critics said had been marred by increasing corruption and
authoritarianism.
The Pope's trip, which comes
five months after a tour of South Korea, is being seen as an attempt to win new
followers in Asia and to shore up support for the
region's millions of Catholics.
Before
departing on Monday, he said the visit reflected his "pastoral concern"
for the people of the region, according to the Reuters news agency.
In the
Philippines organisers are expecting one of the biggest crowds ever for a papal
visit when Pope Francis conducts an open-air mass in the capital Manila.
Church
officials say his visit to the archipelago nation will focus on "mercy and
compassion" following a deadly 2013 typhoon, reports the AFP news agency.
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