Colombo (AsiaNews) - "If this bill is passed, I think that Christians, and especially Catholics, would face many challenges." Marius Peiris, auxiliary bishop of Colombo, is concerned about the anti-conversion bill submitted to parliament and still awaiting approval. On February 17, the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Religious Affairs is meeting to discuss the bill. First proposed in 2004 by Jathika Hela Urumaya, the party of the Buddhist monks, the law is intended to prohibit forced conversions from one religion to another.

Speaking with AsiaNews, Bishop Peiris stresses the importance of defending the right of every individual to choose his own religion freely. But he adds that the bill "is presented in a distorted way." The auxiliary bishop of Colombo explains that the law "could impact our charitable activities and those of other humanitarian institutions." The orphanages and initiatives for the poor assist people of any religion: "If the law were passed, this outreach could be interpreted as an attempt to bring people to the Catholic faith."

So far, the Catholic Church has not expressed any official position on the law. But the faithful are worried, and do not understand why the hierarchy is remaining silent. Bishop Peiris understands the confusion among the community, but explains that the Church "is carefully studying the case with the help of legal and constitutional scholars, and talks are underway with the government, with Venerable Maha Sanga [editor's note: an organization of Buddhist monks], non-Catholic groups . . ."

"We do not want to make an uproar," explains Fr. Leopold Ratnasekara of the general secretariat of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL). But he stresses that the bishops "are staunchly opposed to this law," and complains of the lack of "adequate efforts" in the various areas of institutional discussion, in order to clarify the real intentions of the law.

"We have had bitter experiences in our village schools," Fr. Ratnasekara explains. "Some teachers and principals do not permit Catholic students to learn the Catholic religion, and instead force them to learn Buddhism." And he adds: "What will happen if this law is passed?" The head of the opposition in parliament, Joseph Michael Perera, asserts that the minority parties "are not against the law in principle," but are asking for "greater clarity on what constitutes a crime according to this type of law, and on how it can be proven that a conversion has taken place through force."

Dinesh Gunawardena, head of the parliamentary majority, says that "discussion of the law is planned in parliament, but the date for the debate has not been set." It will be scheduled after the meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.