Bishop Fernando received Ranil Wickremesinghe, with whom he discussed current issues, from the impact of new projects on local fishermen to connections for the Madhu shrine. The prelate praised the “efforts” of the government. But there was no shortage of controversy from a part of the Christian community, which accuses the head of state of not doing justice to the victims of the Easter massacre.
Colombo () – The development of renewable energy projects in Mannar, and related concerns about the possible repercussions on the environment and the health of the population, were the focus of the meeting between the president and the local bishop. Regarding the confrontation between Bishop Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando and Ranil Wickremesinghe, which took place on June 17 in the episcopate, there was no shortage of controversies and perplexity aroused by the Christian community: first of all, the accusation of the head of State of lack of honesty and commitment to ensure justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter attacks. “The bishop should not welcome President Wickremasinghe and bless him,” some southern believers noted.
The Presidency Communication and Media Office (Pmd) reports that Bishop Fernando praised Wickremesinghe for his “efforts” in economic reform, aimed at “saving” the country from a long financial crisis. The meeting also discussed future development plans for Mannar district, starting with the expansion of Point Pedro and Mullaitivu as primary renewable energy centres. The parties also reportedly stressed the need to ensure that development activities are carried out or strengthened with full “respect” for the environment.
The PMD note goes on to explain that during the discussion the ongoing negotiations for the sale of surplus renewable energy to New Delhi also came to light. A feasibility study is currently being carried out for the creation of a power line connecting Sri Lanka and India, and further talks are planned to take place during the Indian Foreign Minister’s upcoming visit to Sri Lanka.
The Christian leader and the President then discussed plans to expand Mannar as a tourist hub, including the Mannar Fort to attract cruise tourists. Wickremesinghe also stressed that these initiatives will lead to broad growth in all district sectors of the region in the future, while the prelate addressed the head of state and the government urging them to address the (unresolved) problem of fishermen and of the entire fishing industry. Meanwhile, in a separate meeting addressing the Mannar District Development Committee held at the secretariat, the bishop stressed that the Madhu pilgrims would be provided with all necessary facilities to carry out their activities.
During the meeting, he ordered the army to clean and groom both sides of the Madhu road to meet the needs of worshipers visiting the church. He also coordinated with a representative of the Bishop of Mannar, the Forest Conservation Department, the Road Development Authority and the police to ensure that these tasks are completed before the upcoming annual festival of Our Lady of Madhu Church.
Despite the announcements and promises, there was no shortage of criticism and comments against the bishop for giving a warm welcome to the president and a religious blessing to a leader who until now has not wanted to do justice to the victims of Holy Week. A group of Catholics, questioned by , pointed out that “our ecclesiastical leaders do the same thing every day, they extend one hand to the political leaders and the other to us, to console us,” but by acting like this they end up “deceiving us.” Among the critical voices is that of Chirantha Amarasinghe, a young Catholic activist and YouTuber: he telephoned the bishop directly, expressing his disappointment and strongly rejecting the welcome given to President Wickremasinghe. The telephone conversation went viral on social networks.
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