The controversial televangelist of a church founded by him is creating discord in the country with outrageous phrases about Buddha. Card. Ranjith: We have no relationship with him, investigate hate mongers. The Buddhist movements demand that he be arrested, but he promises to return to the country next Sunday to meet with his faithful.
Colombo (Asia News) – In Sri Lanka, the figure of Pastor Jerome Fernando, televangelist and founder of his own Christian-based denomination, the Global Glorious Church, is creating a fiery controversy. Fernando aroused outrage over some derogatory statements that he made against the figure of the Buddha and other religions, which were disseminated on social networks, creating a climate of great tension.
A situation in which the Archbishop of Colombo himself, Card. Malcolm Ranjith, had to intervene in the last hours to clarify that the preacher Fernando is not a Catholic priest and has nothing to do with the Church of Sri Lanka. Ranjith also wondered yesterday why the authorities “have not yet investigated those who pollute people’s minds with false religious beliefs.”
The Nawa Bikshu Peramuna (‘New Buddhist Front’) and the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) party filed a complaint with the judicial authorities against Jerome Fernando, demanding that he be immediately arrested and prosecuted. Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department obtained a travel ban order against the pastor from the court yesterday, but he had already left the island on May 14. On his Instagram profile, however, he quoted his followers for Sunday, May 21, at his Colombo church.
In a press conference, Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, editor-in-chief of the Catholic newspaper, reporting on Card. Ranjith recalled that “details have been appearing for weeks about who sponsored the rise of this figure, and it is worrying to note that no investigation has been carried out in this regard.”
“Statements like those of Pastor Jerome can create interreligious conflicts,” added Father Fernando. We cannot forget the past of this country and we ask people to be aware of people who promote ethnic and religious hatred. Everyone in this country has the right to follow any creed, but no one has the right to insult the religion that others follow. And the law must guarantee it.”
