It was former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who invited Pope Francis to visit Sri Lanka and his government made most of the arrangements but it will be the new President who will greet the Pope at the airport. The former president may also be at the airport. Coincidentally, a similar situation arose when John Paul II [...]

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One invites, the other greets

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It was former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who invited Pope Francis to visit Sri Lanka and his government made most of the arrangements but it will be the new President who will greet the Pope at the airport. The former president may also be at the airport.

Coincidentally, a similar situation arose when John Paul II came to Sri Lanka in January 1995 for the beatification of the Blessed Joseph Vaz. He was invited by the previous UNP administration but it was President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who greeted him.

Earlier also, it was the UNP government which invited Pope Paul VI to visit Sri Lanka but when he came on December 4, 1970 it was the new SLFP Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike who welcomed him at the airport.

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