I am a disabled (from birth) Catholic from Sri Lanka of the Archdiocese of Colombo (Sri Lanka) under the Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Most Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith .
I have been an active social worker in my parish church. I am very good with eletrical equipment, sounds and stuff. I'm also a network administrator and software Engineerer as well as a qualified computer hardware technician. I have maintained the website
www.queenofangels.lk for the past 6 years until recent times and still run it from my pocket for the service of God, it is currently the largest Catholic parish website in the country with over 55000 images from over 900 events (in 6 years, 2190 days). I also maintained the church generator, sound system and installed the portable sound system to placed required alone. I also was available to the church from my house near by for almost everything for electrical system to the water system. I have been active in the church throughout three Parish Priests since 2008
I am sad to say this here, but I do not know where to turn, and what to do now, I need advice from you Catholics.
On the 5th of January 2015, my Parish Priest called me and told me that the Archbishop had received a complaint against me that I am paid Rs. 50,000 (450USD) per month from the church. From the start of my involvement I had never taken a cent from the church and till this day am being sponsored by my parents even for the petrol for my motorcycle. I didn't take this seriously but my Parish Priest said that the Archbishop has instructed that the website be shutdown. He also said that the Archbishop has called me a mad person as well. He went on to say that the Archbishop has asked that I be removed from all parish involvements and that I be not involved with anything in the parish (I was a member of the Youth society). I was quick to ask "What is your decision Father?" he replied "Same as the Archbishop".
On the days that followed there after my Parish Priest had gone around my Parish secretively telling A LOT of people several version of the story.
1. I had been paid by previous Parish Priests Rs. 50,000 a month and that the Archbishop asked to remove me.
2. The Archbishop feels that I am a mad person and therefor was removed from the work to the church.
3. I had been removed from the parish work because I attack a Charismatic movement in the church (who does liturgical abuse).
On the 20th of January angered by what is happening and the social feedback I received, I wrote to the Archbishop of Colombo trying to reason with him. Explaining that I never was paid Rs. 50,000 from the church and that my accounts as well as my families accounts are open for investigation. No response was received.
Subsequent letters were sent on the same subject on the 31st of January, 13th of February and 24th of February via e-mail. No response was received.
On the 23rd of April 2015, due to the lack of response, I sent a letter to the Holy Father Pope Francis with the title "Political arena in the Church – Defamed by a Priest in Sri Lanka". In this letter I believed the Archbishop did not say anything as my Parish Priest told me, I believed that the Archbishop's authority had been abused by the Parish Priest (claiming he said something he did not say). I wrote to the Pope and told that the Archbishop is silent because he wished to protect the Parish Priest in this regard. I told the Holy Father, that given the action of my Parish Priest, that he is not fit to serve as a Parish Priest and I condemned his tactics in he uses on the parishioners (condemning people, publicly attacking other Priests etc.). Soon after this letter, my Parish Priest has gone around saying that I stopped coming to church for no reason and that he never said or spoken a word to me.
On May 26, I sent a copy of this letter to Lombardi@pressva.va and Ravenda@pressva.va (found on the internet) with the Mp3 recording of the call where my Parish Priest made the statement as my Android phone has automatic call recording (Androrec).
On the 28th of May 2015, my Mother in deep sorrow (after being called a "Mother of thief" because of my Parish Priest's bad mouth) wrote to the Archbishop of Colombo. She claimed that the reason I was removed is because the Parish Priest wished to involve his relatives who had taken over what I had been doing at church and was being paid by the Parish Priest as they were a company. She has claimed all this has happened because he is a Priest from the town itself (when relatives are close-by, they become important more than the parishioners especially because this is the last parish before retirement, ie, retirement plan).
On 29th of May, the Archbishop of Colombo responds and says that he never said anything about me to the Parish Priest and that all he had asked is that if someone his being paid Rs. 50,000 from the church per month, that the person be stopped. He has also had made it clear that he did not comment on my personal states. He has said that he would investigate the allegations made. I believe this from the point where I understood that someone was trying to make me attack the Archbishop of Colombo, as mentioned on the letter on 31st of Jan.
On the 26th of June, feeling angered with my Parish Priest, and outraged over the pure silence in action from the Archbishop, I decided to write against this Priest to the local Catholic newspaper as strongly believed that I wouldn't have been the first and that I wouldn't be the last. The head of the newspaper directed me to the Secretary of the Archbishop. I contacted the Secretary of the Archbishop. He directed me to speak to the Episcopal Vicar of the Diocese in this matter. I met EV on the 3rd of July and handed over the e-mails and letters in this regard, the EV said that I should forgive my Parish Priest. I stressed that it won't solve the problems occurring and that it would not resolve my reputation. He said as a institution the church would take necessary action required.
On the 5th of July, I heard that the Archbishop had elevated him to be the Dean of Moratuwa deanery. I wrote the the Archbishop and EV asking, under what grounds he was promoted. I asked if my forgiveness would justify what my Parish Priest has done to the Church including the many families and people who left the Church because of his actions in his former parishes. The numbers of trees he cut down, I asked whether it will all grow back magically? I also asked, what the Archbishop of would have done if I went around saying "The Archbishop has said my Parish Priest is mad". I reminded him that he would have excommunicated me. I asked "Yet you will forgive my Parish Priest and make him a Bishop? " (He was made a Dean, not a Bishop ). I also asked them as to whether my Parish Priest had done the two most important things in his life "Love your Bishop, and Love your people".
Now here I am with one heck of a story to tell. And still a blood strong Catholic under the protection of Mother Mary in my ever challenging medical obstacles, head strong. Looking for your advice. One thing though, from my experience, I decided to stop attacking Fundamentalist's because I think with Priest's like this, we the Catholic Church created them, just like when God created Good, he in turn created evil. The only reason I didn't dash away from the Church that put me through so much is nothing more than the Blessed Mother. I know someone will do something. This is just one Priest of many, there are so many, unless the Archbishop comes up with a long term solution to this problem, there will be no Church in Sri Lanka very soon. There were 17% Catholics in the in 1960's in Sri Lanka. Today there is only 6%. And if Catholic Priest's keep behaving like this it will be 1% in a matter of years.
www.queenofangels.lk still remains online as a testament of my love and devotion to Christ and Mother Mary.
This is one story, under the power of Christ will have a happy ending!
My name is : Chirantha Amerasinghe
My contact number is 00 94 77 308 3479
The e-mail of the Archbishop of Colombo : absecretariat@sltnet.lk
God Bless You All!
P. S. I'm only 24 years old.
Topic: Persecuted by a Priest (Defamed by a Priest) (Read 1263 times)