Pablo Blanco, Professor of Theology
What is the Pope doing in such a country?
Only 6.1% of the country's 20 million inhabitants are Catholics, while more than three-quarters are Buddhists, 8.5% are Muslims and 7.9% are Hindus. Why is Pope Francis going to such a country? An old missionary used to say that "the past is Europe and America; the present, Africa; and the future, Asia". Perhaps Bergoglio -a Jesuit who wanted to go as a missionary to Japan
a Jesuit who wanted to go as a missionary to Japan wants to bring it to the present. Especially considering that Sri Lanka is the most religious country in the world, with 99% of its inhabitants declaring in 2008 that religion is important in their daily lives. Moreover, the current context could be significant: while the West is discussion between a belligerent secularism and a fundamentalism of supposedly religious origin, in this country with the highest population density in the world, religions could coexist.
a Jesuit who wanted to go as a missionary to Japan wants to bring it to the present. Especially considering that Sri Lanka is the most religious country in the world, with 99% of its inhabitants declaring in 2008 that religion is important in their daily lives. Moreover, the current context could be significant: while the West is discussion between a belligerent secularism and a fundamentalism of supposedly religious origin, in this country with the highest population density in the world, religions could coexist.
peacefully.
Peace is the main task of any creed. The history of religions also offers interesting insights. Seventy percent of its inhabitants are Buddhists of the Theravada school, which was introduced in the 2nd century by the venerable Mahinda. Hinduism is located in the center and east of the country, and is professed mainly by the Tamil ethnic group. Islam was brought by the Arabs in the 7th century, from whom they feel they are descendants. Christianity, however, did not reach the island of Ceylon, as it was then called, until the 16th century, introduced by the Tamils.
until the 16th century, introduced by the colonists. Of these, 82% are Catholics, while there are also Anglicans and Protestants. There are also followers of Zoroaster, coming from India.
What is really complicated in this country is to find an atheist or an agnostic. Starting from this condition of believers in some religion, Pope Francis appealed to the peaceful condition of all of them: "All must be free to express their points of view. They must be prepared to accept one another and to accept differences.
each other and to accept differences. Dialogue builds peace. "For the sake of peace, religious beliefs must never be allowed to be used to justify violence and war," he said in his speech to the leaders of the different religious faiths, perhaps looking to other regions of the planet as well, after being received among colorfully attired elephants. Perhaps, these enormous animals can be a symbol of peace, as the dove with the olive branch is for us.