{UAH} Pope's very triumphant colourful welcome to Sri Lanka!

The Pope arrived today morning ( 13/01/2015 ) in Sri Lanka and was welcomed at the
international airport by President Maithripala Sirisona and the entire cabinet and all bishops
of  the island nation together with thousands of cheering, dancing and ululating Sri Lankans.
Immediately he stepped on tarmac he was garlanded amidst deafening cheers and applauses.
from the great crowds waving Vatican's white and yellow flags.Then walking on a long red carpet
the Pope, accompanied by the President and ministers, was led to the official rostrum for the
anthems and official speeches. Hundreds of colourfully well-dressed ladies lined along the two sides of
the carpet while at the same time, from moment to moment, eminent statesmen approached the Pope and knelt
to greet him or to kiss his ring! Standing very majestically with the President on the rostrum the two leaders listened to
the two anthems after which a twenty-five gun salute sounded. Then a young lady,perhaps in her teens, pronounced in
English some touching words to welcome the Pope on Sri Lankan soil. This was followed by a lengthy song chanted
by a special music group to welcome the great visitor. It was in English and the Pope, now seated, appeared impressed
by its content. This item was followed by the two official addresses, one by the President who expressed enthusiasm at
the Pope's presence in Sri Lanka as a sign of a mutual co-operation between the country and the Holy See, and he commended
the Pope's action to canonize ( tomorrow Wednesday ) Indian missionary priest Fr Joseph Diaz who did so much for Sri Lanka.
The Pope, speaking in English, thanked the President for the invitation to visit Sri Lanka and appreciated the very warm welcome
adding he was glad to be in Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. He happily praised the many religious leaders from various
faiths who had turned up for him. He pointed out that the visit was pastoral whose climax was the canonization ceremony. He also
pointed out that he had also come to encourage the Catholic community to participate in the social life of Sri Lanka.He further
encouraged the Sri Lankans to live in harmony in spite of their diverse backgrounds. And lastly, he touched on the question of human rights
and appreciated the effort to aim at a final lasting peace after years of turmoil  ( 37 years!!!). At the end of his address the Pope was cheered
and strongly applauded by the thousands of people present at the airport. Then he was presented to the top personalities of the country,
including cabinet ministers and bishops, etc.. before he signed the official visitor's book where he wrote in English a very touching message
of appreciation. From the airport he was driven to the Apostolic Nunciature where he is residing. The 27-kilometer distance was a course
protected by 24,000 policemen to contgrol the hundreds of thousands of people who braved the scorching tropical heat ( over 30°C ) and
lined up in great depths to cheer the Pope who looked moved and impressed by such cheerful crowds.
After a rest and after cancelling the appointment with the bishops due time-table constraints that required him to meet the President that
afternoon, the Pope was driven to the Presidential Palace and on his way he was cheered by an estimated 300,000 people. Of course with
the President both leaders discussed questions relating to efforts to bring peace in the region, etc..
In general the Pope's visit to Sri Lanka is a very triumphant success already. People were all eager to receive Pope Francis and this has
immediately given a boost to the image of their country. The President and the authorities who pushed the Pope's visit to almost the
morrow of the election which they won, are all reaping big from this visit which will enable them to throw a good card to the Christian population
( 7 % ) of the total population of 20 million people. The Christian population, with 85% of them Roman Catholics, is evenly divided among the two
ethnic groups that have been fighting each other for decades. And this is the card the Pope is laying on the table to reconcile further the ex-warring groups, and it has won him credit from the Sri Lankan authorities and the entire population! At the interreligious meeting early this afternoon the Pope was very loudly cheered and greeted with touching speeches of welcome from the various religious leaders representing the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Moslems, and the Anglicans. Each one of them brought a gift to the Pope who, in his address, called on religions in the island to work together very cordially in order to heal the wounds of the past. Here, Catholics from both the Sinhalese ( a mainly Buddhist group ) and the rival Tamils ( a predominantly Hindu group ) will act as a bridge to bring some harmony between the groups. And success on this line is already seen in the anticipated  massive turn-out for tomorrow's canonization ceremony where a million
people are expected! The new saint, Fr Diaz, is to the Sri Lankans which Père Simeon Lourdel ( Mapeera ) is to Ugandans.Therefore another great symbol to all Sri Lankans to pride in and to spring from for a better Sri Lanka.

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo ( Paris / France )

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