Colombo (AsiaNews) - July marks the anniversary of ordination of Fr. Michael
Rodrigo, Oblate of Mary Immaculate murdered by an unknown assailant in 1987 in
Buttala. Fr.
Mike
is considered a "prophet" and a "martyr" of Sri Lanka of
the twentieth century for his work among the local Buddhist community, into which
he had managed to integrate himself and to teach about Christianity without violating
their customs and traditions. Below, AsiaNews publishes
a public testimonial by Fr. Reid Shelton Fernando, chaplain of Young Christian Workers (YCW) and Christian Workers Movement (CWM).
I first met Fr. Mike
in 1962, when I joined the National Seminar Ampitiya (Kandy). He
was my professor of philosophy, but he also taught logic, psychology and
Buddhism. He was a good teacher. When
he left the seminary to take a sabbatical, he developed a sense of love for
people, and went on to join Msgr. Leo
Nanayakkara in Sevaka Sevana ("House of Ministries"), a formation
center for young priests in the region of Uva Wellassa. There he remained there
until the bishop's death.
In 1980, Fr. Mike
began his mission in the village of Buttala, to bring the Word of God among the
majority Buddhist population. There,
he lived in a small mud hut. His focus
on inculturation, interreligious dialogue and integration did not please the
Church hierarchy. He
was with the people and helped them to understand how they risked being
exploited by the world of politics and business. In
what many called his "ashram", he set in act a genuine freedom
movement. Fr. Mike
incorporated the principles of the liberation in Buddhism, and brought Christianity
and a new awareness among people.
He has been described
as a prophet. But
he was not popular among the political leadership, and was eliminated. He is a
martyr, but is not accepted by his own Church. It
is a pity that his diocese and his congregation have not done more to keep his
memory alive.
(With the collaboration of Melani
Manel Perera)