ASIA/SRI LANKA – Priest from Colombo “We know the wounds of war, it is always a defeat, let’s return to dialogue”

Colombo – “Every war affects the whole world. Innocent people lose their lives, indescribable suffering arises. Today we call for an end to this new war that is igniting the Middle East and shaking all of humanity. War is never the solution; it only creates a new spiral of hatred and revenge. Let us return to dialogue and negotiations,” urges Father Cyril Gamini Fernando, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Colombo and director of the Sinhalese-language Catholic weekly “Gnartha Pradeepaya” in an interview with Fides.
The island of Sri Lanka was touched by war after an Iranian warship was sunk by a torpedo fired from a US submarine. The Sri Lankan Navy dispatched ships and aircraft on a rescue mission, recovering 87 bodies and rescuing 32 people.
“We are deeply affected by this situation,” Father Fernando remarked. “The Iranian sailors are being treated in the hospital. The public is shaken. We remember the civil war we experienced in our own country for over thirty years, a conflict that left deep wounds and caused suffering for thousands. Therefore, today we can only pray to God and ask those in power to end the war.” “War,” the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Colombo concluded, “is never justifiable, in any way. It is always a defeat for humanity, as the Popes have repeatedly emphasized. The bishops of Sri Lanka today called on the faithful to pray fervently for peace. We support all peace efforts and entrust the Middle East to the Lord, so that peace and reconciliation may prevail over violence.”

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