Sri Lanka: Small Christian communities following in the footsteps of Pope Francis

One year after Bergoglio’s death, the Church in Sri Lanka has placed the theme of synodality – dear to his heart – at the centre of the Sunday that annually brings together the grassroots groups which, for over thirty years, have been gathering in their neighbourhoods or villages to walk together in faith. Bishop Wickramasinghe: “A privileged place to live out each person’s responsibility towards others”.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka – as happens every year on the second Sunday after Easter – is today celebrating the National Sunday of Small Christian Communities with the theme: “Small Christian Communities, the heart of a synodal Church on mission”.

Across Sri Lanka there are 12 dioceses – the Archdiocese of Colombo and the dioceses of Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa, Chilaw, Galle, Jaffna, Kandy, Kurunegala, Mannar, Ratnapura and Trincomalee – which have a total of around 1.6 million faithful, accounting for approximately 6–7% of the country’s total population. Introduced in 1995 on the model of base communities, the Small Christian Communities are neighbourhood groups that come together to strengthen their faith, live in solidarity and nurture their spirituality, highlighting the role of the laity in the Church.

As National Secretary Nimal Perera explains to AsiaNews, on this day all dioceses celebrate a special Mass presided over by the bishop with the Small Christian Communities. And at the end of the celebration, a prayer is recited in every church with the blessing and renewed mandate of the leaders.

In a message addressed for this occasion, the national director of the Small Christian Communities, Fr Priya Jayamanne, emphasises the link between this journey and the path towards a synodal Church indicated by Pope Francis, the first anniversary of whose passing falls in these very days. “This is a Church in which everyone walks together and prepares for paths of liberation, and Pope Leo shares this same vision: everyone unites and acts with mutual responsibility, because, according to the word of Christ, a person’s salvation is realised to the extent that they work for the salvation of others.”

The President of the National Commission for the Laity, Bishop Raymond Wickramasinghe of Galle, also affirms that the challenges of contemporary Christian life, in a world that tends to progress on the basis of selfishness, can be overcome precisely by reviving experiences such as those of the Small Christian Communities. He recalls their roots in the value of communion affirmed by the Second Vatican Council. They were founded in response to the invitation issued by the Asian Bishops’ Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1990, which urged the re-enactment in modern society of the characteristics of the early Christian communities described in the Acts of the Apostles. By prioritising the Word of God and gathering in prayer, listening and meditation, they represent the most powerful experience within the Church for strengthening the life of faith and progressing in communion and synodality.

“Today many people pursue their own goals alone,” comments Bishop Wickramasinghe. “Attention towards our brothers and sisters is waning. Our Christian life, however, has meaning to the extent that we are sensitive to our neighbours. If we actively participate in a small Christian community, it becomes a privileged place to live out this responsibility towards others.” He also suggests that priests and religious should commit themselves as a driving force in the search for the “lost sheep”, protect the Catholic faithful from fundamentalist groups that misuse the Lord’s name and lead them away from the Church’s teachings, and guide the contribution of the Small Christian Communities, emphasising that the Church’s lay leadership will emerge precisely from them.

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