When Pope Francis visited Sri Lanka earlier this month, he used the occasion to urge its leaders to include “the pursuit of truth” in the process of healing the scarred and divided country. By heeding Francis' call, Sri Lanka's newly elected president, Maithripala Sirisena, has an opportunity to put his country on the path toward sustainable peace.
NEW YORK – When Pope Francis visited Sri Lanka earlier this month, he used the occasion to urge its leaders to include “the pursuit of truth” in the process of healing the scarred and divided country. Sri Lanka is still reeling from a 25-year civil war with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009, after up to 100,000 people had been killed – many of them by the government. The pursuit of truth is important, Francis said, “not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing, and unity.”
NEW YORK – When Pope Francis visited Sri Lanka earlier this month, he used the occasion to urge its leaders to include “the pursuit of truth” in the process of healing the scarred and divided country. Sri Lanka is still reeling from a 25-year civil war with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009, after up to 100,000 people had been killed – many of them by the government. The pursuit of truth is important, Francis said, “not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing, and unity.”