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Statement
issued to the Press from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) of Sri Lanka on the
situation prevailing in the Country
As the largest men’s religious
and Catholic congregation which has been serving the people of Sri Lanka
for the last 175 years, and a group both of indigenous and foreign
missionaries who have labored and still continue to work for the human,
educational, social, cultural and spiritual welfare and well-being of
our people in all parts of the country, we are deeply concerned and
perturbed by the horrendous and shocking events that are overtaking our
country at the present moment, bringing such misery and untold
suffering.
The political instability,
violence, social disintegration and moral decadence at all levels are
matters of grave concern to all right-thinking citizens. These are being
manifested in the open and gross violation of human rights clearly
enshrined in our Constitution, indiscriminate killing of the young and
the old, eviction and multiple displacement of innocent civilians,
abductions, extortion of money and scant respect for life. We
unreservedly condemn these evils as ir-religious, inhuman and ir-rational
contravening the noble religious values that we uphold in all our
religions.
The international image of Sri
Lanka as a religious country is being blatantly tarnished by these
events which are now a daily occurrence and on the increase.
While we are in solidarity
with all those people of sincerity and goodwill who are working hard to
bring about some change in this prevailing situation, we, on behalf of
all the Oblate Fathers, Brothers and our associates, earnestly appeal to
the political and civil authorities, whose authority has been vested in
them by the sovereignty of the people, to bring back social harmony,
peace and the rule of law that will ensure safety, security and
well-being of all the citizens of our dear motherland.
Fr. Clement Waidyasekera
OMI Fr. S. M .
Slevaratnam OMI
Provincial Superior,
Colombo Provincial Superior, Jaffna. |
