Millions pay homage to Pope
Millions pay homage to Pope
BY CASSENDRA DOOLE- 2015-01-15
Pope Francis said that religious freedom is a fundamental right of all and expressed his hopes that the Catholics of this country will make a great contribution to peace, justice and reconciliation in Sri Lankan society during the Homily of the canonization Mass of St. Joseph Vaz.
"Each individual must have the freedom, whether alone or in association with others, to seek the truth and to openly express his or her religious convictions free from intimidation and external compulsion," The Pontiff explained during his Homily.
The canonization ceremony of Bl. Joseph Vaz, the first to sainthood from Sri Lanka, followed by Holy Mass conducted by the Holy Father took place at Galle Face Green yesterday (14) with the participation of over half a million devotees according to Papal Media.
The canonization ceremony of Bl. Joseph Vaz, the first to sainthood from Sri Lanka, followed by Holy Mass conducted by the Holy Father took place at Galle Face Green yesterday (14) with the participation of over half a million devotees according to Papal Media.
The Mayor of Colombo offered the Keys of the City to the Pontiff upon his arrival at Galle Face Green to formally welcome him to the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
"We are called to go forth with the same zeal, the same courage of Saint Joseph Vaz," Pope Francis said, adding "but also with his sensitivity, his reverence for others, his desire to share with them the word of Grace which has the power to build them up."
Meanwhile, various celebrations in Goa will take place today (15) to mark St. Joseph Vaz's passage to sainthood 20 years after Pope John Paul II declared him Blessed, said the Archbishop of Goa.
The Sri Lankan Saint's honorific title thus will change from Blessed to Saint and the canonization will be followed by the renaming of the Sanctuary of the Blessed Joseph Vaz Pilgrimage Centre in Sancoale, Goa to reflect his sainthood.
As the revered saint hailed from Kandy, the stage in which the Holy Father carried out mass was made to the model of the Paththirippuwa (Ocatagon). Various aspects of the Kandyan Culture were also seen among the decorations of Galle Face Green.
Saint Joseph Vaz, a priest of the Oratory arrived in Sri Lanka from Goa to provide spiritual and moral enrichment to the Christians suppressed by the rule of the Dutch. He carried out his services from Kandy and reached out to various other parts of the Island until he died at the age of 59.
His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith thanked the Pope for the gift of a Saint to Sri Lanka. "Over and above the gift of your presence on this soil, you have given us the gift of a saint: St. Joseph Vaz," he said, "For Sri Lanka now has its own saint, the Pride of Goa and God's precious Gem for Sri Lanka."
His Holiness Pope Francis will leave the country for Philippines, Manila at 9:00 a.m. today (15) after his 3 day visit to the Island of Sri Lanka. President Maithripala Sirisena is scheduled to arrive at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to bid farewell to the Holy Father.
The Pontiff is scheduled to leave the Apostolic Nunciature in Colombo at 7:30 a.m. and arrive at the Cultural Institute at Bolawalana, Negombo by 8:15 a.m. The Pontiff will be welcomed by His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Fr. Quintus Fernando at Bolwalana where he will spend some prayer time in silence. Immediately following his visit to Bolawalana, Pope Francis will then pose for group photographs outside the Chapel.
Upon arrival at the BIA, the Pope will be received by the President and will bid farewell to our country before beginning his journey to Manila. The Sri Lankan three day visit the Pope made was the first Asian Visit of his Holiness's Asian Tour.
