15th, December 1996

The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) in the Vatican has issued an administrative declaration, with the approval of the Pope, for the ex-communication of the controversial Sri Lankan priest, Fr. Tissa Balasuriya - condemning him and his book on Mary as a defection from the faith.

The declaration was issued on December 8, ironically, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, but it has still not been formally gazette in the Vatican's official newspaper 'Observator Romano' and Fr. Balasuriya has appealed to Pope John Paul II to reconsider the decision.

In a strong response, Fr. Balasuriya who is widely regarded as Sri Lanka's greatest Catholic crusader for social justice and human rights, said he had been condemned without a trial or even a dialogue. The 72-year-old priest, who has served the Church for more than 50 years, described the CDF decision as "arbitrary, unjust and imperious".

"The judgment of the CDF that I have defected from the Catholic faith is said to lead automatically to my dismissal from the OMI religious congregation in terms of Canon 694. This is a further injustice in this case.

"Some unknown persons decide on my religious life without a trial whatsoever to arrive at this judgment.

"The Superior General and General Administration of the Oblates, and the Provincial and Council of the Oblates in Sri Lanka, who have known me and my work during the past 51 years, are apparently not able to have a say concerning this.

"If the CDF could treat a very senior religious like me in this arbitrary and imperious manner, what could the younger generation of religious expect from the Church to which they commit their lives in the 21st century? It is to be feared the lack of vocations to religious life in the Western countries may spread to our countries too," Fr. Balasuriya said in a hard-hitting statement.

"In the circumstances, I have appealed to His Holiness, the Pope to see that there is a formal judicial trial into this case which has been a cause of grave distress to me during the past four years, and in the meantime to suspend the sanctions being imposed on me by the CDF.

"The Pope has strenuously defended such rights against authoritarian regimes of the Left and of the Right. Strangely his name is being invoked for an injustice within the Church, the like of which has not been seen at least in this concluding half century of the 20th century.

At the age of 72, after 51 years in the Congregation of the Oblates and 44 years a priest I wish to remain a member of the Catholic Church. I will be in ecclesial and spiritual communion with the Church of Jesus, even if legally ex-communicated by ecclesiastical authorities.

"Conscious of my limitations, and relying on the never failing grace of God, and the communion and companionship of kindred persons, I commit the few remaining days also of my life for the Church to be ever more Jesus-like, united, prophetic, just and lovable; to work for the development of Christian theology in relation to global and local justice, our Asian situation in these times; to try to safeguard human dignity, gender justice and due freedom and rights of all, for the honor and better understanding of Mary, the fearless mother of Jesus and our mother, who supportively and courageously co-suffered with her son Jesus," he said.

Fr. Balasuriya was a founder Registrar since 1953 and later Rector of Aquinas University College, Colombo from 1964-1971.

He was Founder Director of the Center for Society and Religion, Colombo from 1971, Founder member of the Civil Rights Movement of Sri Lanka since 1971, Asian Chaplain of International Movement of Catholic Students 1969-1979, Founding member of Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT) since 1976, and its Asian Coordinator 1976-1986, Founding member of the Citizens Committee for national harmony Sri Lanka since 1977, Founder member and international secretary of the International Forum of Religions for Global Solidarity since 1993 and Visiting Professor of Faith and Justice in St. Paul University, Ottawa, Canada 1993/1994.

Fr. Balasuriya said that during the past four years of this controversy over his book Mary and Human Liberation he had appealed to every relevant Church authority in Sri Lanka and Rome for a judicial inquiry into the charges. But he was being condemned without a fair hearing. He said the accuser, the witnesses, judges and executors in this case were the CDF, going completely contrary to even canon law and normal law.

He said the CDF had demanded that to be served from excommunication he should sign a specially drafted profession of faith which was "ominously incomplete and potentially misleading" in to quotation Vatican II documents.

He also alleged that the CDF has authoritatively impeded the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka from arriving at a settlement of this issue by a process of inquiry and / or mediation within Sri Lanka."

Even the Archbishop of Colombo had been open to the proposal that this issue be inquired into by the CBCSL but the CDF had insisted it was a matter to be handled not by the Sri Lankan Bishops but by the Congregation in Rome, says Fr. Balasuriya.

The Papal Nuncio in Colombo told The Sunday Times last night that nothing was yet official and any excommunication order had not been gazetted, but declined further comment.

Buddhist leader and former minister Gamani Jayasuriya has lashed out at the government on the Deegawapi land distribution issue.

"Minister M. H. M. Ashraff has promised he will not allow Muslims to occupy these lands and has asked us not to worry about the matter. I must tell him that we do not expect any favors from him," Mr. Jayasuriya said. He was speaking at a "Daham Hamuwa" which followed unveiling of the pinnacle of the Sri Vijaya Saugatha Temple Chaitya at Walana, Panadura.

A large number of Buddhist monks attended the ceremony along with Minister G. L. Peiris and several MPs. Mr. Jayasuriya in a hard-hitting speech said although the Govt. was boasting that a majority of the people were in favor of the devolution package, he felt there was not much support.

Turning to Dr. Peiris who was on the stage he said "You all can mislead the President on this but certainly not the Maha Sangha and the majority of the people. These so-called 'Sama Givisumas" are dangerous. The first peace package was signed in 1815 between the British and some of the then Sinhalese Nilames by which the country was handed over to the former. Therefore, we must be careful of this so-called peace package," he warned.

This week, TNL Radio announced two significant milestones in broadcasting. Taking another leading step forward with Cyber technology, TNL Radio is broadcasting live on the Internet, making TNL accessible to a worldwide audience. At the same time, TNL Radio has commissioned their new 90 FM transmission upgrade, says a press release.

Test transmissions on the Internet commenced on the last week of November and any person with a multimedia computer and Internet access can tune in to TNL's daily broadcast from anywhere in the world.

By Kumaradasa Wagista

Unconcerned by the confusion at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) general meeting on Thursday, Mayor K. Ganeshalingam will give the final touches to his first budget.

Councilors from both sides willfully kept away from the meeting in sympathy with one of their colleagues, PA's Sunil Ananda Vithanage, who is alleged to have been threatened by some hooligans on December 4 in the Town Hall grounds.

When asked why Councilors boycotted the meeting both Mayor and Opposition Leader Ananda Premasinghe said: "It was adjourned as there was no quorum."

Answering allegations by Mr. Premasinghe that there was a split in the UNP group, UNP members said the Opposition group was more divided.

This was openly demonstrated when Mr. Premasinghe moved a resolution that CMC should run a Commercial Bank the first Councilor to oppose it was Mr. Vithanage, they pointed out. Speaking on this motion Mr. Vithanage said the Mayor was boasting of settling a Rs. 300m overdraft with the rate payer taxes but their basic amenities were not attended to.

It was also heard in CMC circles that differences between the Mayor and Mr. Vithanage were settled by a PA government minister. Both of them shook hands before the minister thus burying the hatchet. However a group of UNP Councilors do not approve even this meeting.

South Indian traders have appealed to Prime Minister Deve Gowda to intervene in a dispute over the diversion of their vessels from Colombo to the Galle port, a diplomat said.

These traders who operate around 40 vessels between Colombo and Tuticorin are not allowed into Colombo harbor for security reason and their vessels, carrying mostly perishable items are diverted to Galle. Indian diplomat H. Upadhyay told "The Sunday Times' these traders had complained of heavy losses and inconvenience as their vessels were diverted to the Galle port 115 km away from Colombo.

"We are trying to negotiate with the Lankan government to relax this ban soon as the sea around the Galle port is rocky and hostile for the wooded based vessels carrying perishable cargo," Mr. Upadhyay said.

According to court figures obtained Tuticorin vessels have discharged 110,700 tones of cargo and fetched a revenue of over Rs. 50 million this year, for the Colombo Harbor.

By Kshalini Nonis

Gambling centers which are to be allowed only at selected tourist hotels are to be regulated by new legislation, Tourist Board Chairman H. M. S. Samaranayake said.

He said once the new legislation which is being drafted stipulated the criteria for the operation of these centers, the Tourist Board would identify hotels where casinos would be operated.

The new legislation seeks to allow only foreign passport holders to the gambling centers, Mr. Samaranayake said and added that this control over casinos had been imposed for two reasons: to collect revenue for the government and to lure rich tourists to the country.

A member of a provincial council has complained to the president about a liquor and gambling counter at an exhibition organized by a cabinet minister at a school function from December 6 to 8.

According to Western Provincial Council member Clement Perera, parents and teachers have expressed disgust over the incident. This is the first time that such a stall has been opened at a school function, they said.

Mr. Perera said 'Karmantha 96' organized by the C.V. Gooneratne Foundation was held at a Colombo south college last week, to mark the occasion of the completion of two years in office of the president, with the objective of developing educational capabilities of the needy children of the area.

"The stall was prominent and several students had consumed both soft and hard liquor. Apart from having a detrimental effect on society, it is also illegal, as according to the Excise Ordinance Act there is a stipulated distance between a school and liquor shop," he said.

According to Mr. Perera, the principal of the school had been helpless as the organizers of the stall have political links, and therefore had the full backing of the authorities concerned. "On one hand, the president is preaching about behavior and discipline of teachers, but on the other hand, her ministers are acting contrary to her preaching. This unauthorized liquor and gambling stall has brought disrepute to the state, administration, as well as the ruling political party," he said.