– The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka and the Catholic Church of Sri Lanka, over the weekend,  denounced the sentiments expressed by Fr. Jeewatha Peiris on an alleged genocide during the final stages of the civil war.

“Fr. Jeewatha Peiris did not express the ideology of the Catholic Church. He has expressed his own ideology and not the ideology of the Church,” Chairman of the Episcopal Commission of Social Communications Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Jude Nishantha Silva said in a special statement. “The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka always stood for and continue to stand for reconciliation, social dialogue and respecting all communities of Sri Lanka,” he added.

Meanwhile, National Director Social Communications, Fr. Jude Krishantha Fernando said the war which raged in Sri Lanka was a war against terrorism and not against any ethnic group.”One had to eradicate terrorism which carried out attacks on the Dalada Maligawa, monks in Arantalawa, the Central Bank, the Pettah bus stand and a train in Dehiwala,” he said.Wide publicity was given, especially in the social media, to the remarks made by Fr. Peiris who had said the 30 year war was aimed at the elimination of the entire Tamil community in Sri Lanka.