Joshua Bennett
Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka, with around 7% of Sri Lanka's 21 million people identifying as Christian. The majority of these are Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The country has 12 dioceses, including one archdiocese, and approximately 1.2 million Catholics, representing around 6.1% of the total population (according to the 2012 census). The introduction of Christianity to Sri Lanka is thought to date back to the first century, with records suggesting that St. Thomas Christians and East Syriac Christians lived in Sri Lanka before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholics in Sri Lanka | 1,552,434 (7% of the population) |
| Number of Dioceses | 12 |
| Number of Archdioceses | 1 |
| Number of Protestants in Sri Lanka | 290,967 (1.43% of the population) |
| Number of Methodist Churches | 200 |
| Number of Methodist Followers | 40,000 |
| Number of Churches in the Ceylon Pentecostal Mission | 70 |
| Number of Baptist Congregations | 2,000 |
| Number of People Killed in the 2019 Church Bombings | 269 |
| Year Catholicism was Introduced to Sri Lanka | 1505 |
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What You'll Learn
- Catholicism in Sri Lanka was introduced by Portuguese colonialism
- The Catholic Church is the oldest and largest church in Sri Lanka
- The Catholic community was divided by the Sri Lankan Civil War
- The Anuradhapura Cross is an archaeological find that suggests Christianity in Sri Lanka before the arrival of the Portuguese
- The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome
Catholicism in Sri Lanka was introduced by Portuguese colonialism
The Portuguese played a significant role in introducing Roman Catholicism to Sri Lanka. They arrived in the island nation, then known as Ceylon, through a trade agreement with King Vira Parakramabahu VII in 1505. Among those converted to Catholicism by the Portuguese was Don Juan Dharmapala, the king of Kotte, a small kingdom near present-day Colombo. Following the displacement of the Portuguese by the Dutch and the Dutch East India Company, Roman Catholicism was revived through the efforts of St. Joseph Vaz, a priest from Goa, who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1687. Popular folklore credits Vaz with performing miracles, such as bringing rain during a drought and taming a rogue elephant.
Catholicism in Sri Lanka has been influenced by both Buddhism and European styles. While being Catholic and Sri Lankan are not seen as contradictions, the Catholic Church in the country continues to grapple with its colonial legacy. Sri Lankan Catholics have established a distinct identity, as evidenced by their display of the papal flag alongside the national flag during independence day celebrations. However, tensions arose in 1960 when the government infringed on the Catholic Church's autonomy by taking control of Catholic schools. This led to an attempted coup in 1962 by Catholic and Protestant army officers, purportedly due to concerns about increasing Buddhist influence in the military.
The civil war in Sri Lanka, which lasted from 1983 to 2009, left deep scars on the country and its Catholic community. The conflict was fought between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who sought a separate state for the Tamil community. The war divided the Catholic community, with Catholics holding leadership positions on both sides of the conflict. Catholic bishops from Tamil and Sinhalese areas struggled to find a unified response to the war, even disagreeing on a proposed humanitarian ceasefire during intense fighting in 2008.
Today, the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, led by the pope in Rome. According to the 2012 census, there are approximately 1.2 million Catholics in Sri Lanka, constituting around 6.1% of the total population. The country is organized into 12 dioceses, including one archdiocese. The Catholic culture in Sri Lanka is unique, with veiling being a requirement for women in church and many churches featuring ornate, European-influenced designs.
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The Catholic Church is the oldest and largest church in Sri Lanka
The Catholic Church is the oldest and largest Christian church in Sri Lanka. Christianity is a minority religion in the country, with around 7% of Sri Lanka's 21 million population identifying as Christian. Of these, the majority are Roman Catholic, with approximately 1.2 million Catholics in the country, representing around 6.1% of the total population according to the 2012 census.
The introduction of Christianity to Sri Lanka is thought to date back to the first century. It is said that after Thomas the Apostle's visit to Kerala in AD 52, Christianity took root in Sri Lanka due to its close geographical and commercial ties with Kerala. There is also archaeological evidence of early Christianity in the country, such as the Anuradhapura cross, and records suggesting the presence of St. Thomas Christians and East Syriac Christians. In addition, there are mentions of Persian Christian involvement with the Sri Lankan royal family during the Sigiriya Period.
The establishment of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is closely linked to the arrival of Portuguese colonists in the 16th century. On November 15, 1505, a Portuguese fleet commanded by Lourenço de Almeida landed in Colombo after being driven by a storm to the shores of Sri Lanka. With the permission of the king of Kotte, Dharma Parakramabahu IX, Almeida constructed a trade station and a small chapel dedicated to St. Lawrence. The first Catholic Mass on Sri Lankan soil was celebrated by Franciscan Friar Vicente, the chaplain of the fleet. Over the following centuries, Portuguese, Dutch, and Irish missionaries spread Catholicism in Sri Lanka, particularly along the western and northwestern coasts.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Catholic Church and falls under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The country is organised into 12 dioceses, including one archdiocese, with the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo located at St. Lucia's Cathedral. St. Lucia's Cathedral, established in 1760, is the oldest Parish church in Sri Lanka and is renowned for its Gothic architecture.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has faced various challenges throughout its history, including tensions with the government and religious persecution. In 1960, the government infringed upon the Church's independence by taking over Catholic schools. This led to an attempted coup in 1962 by Catholic and Protestant army officers, allegedly due to increasing Buddhist influence in the military. More recently, in 2019, three Catholic churches in Negombo, Batticaloa, and Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide bombings during Easter services, resulting in the loss of numerous lives and injuring hundreds.
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The Catholic community was divided by the Sri Lankan Civil War
Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka, with around 7% of Sri Lanka's 21 million population being Christian, most of whom are Catholic. The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. There are approximately 1.2 million Catholics in Sri Lanka, representing around 6.1% of the total population (according to the 2012 census).
The Sri Lankan Civil War, which lasted from 1983 to 2009, divided the Catholic community. The war was fought between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who sought a separate state for Sri Lanka's Tamil community in the northern and eastern parts of the island. The LTTE included Catholics in military positions, while the Sri Lankan army had Christian members in leadership ranks. Catholic bishops from Tamil and Sinhalese areas were unable to agree on a coherent response to the conflict, including whether to recommend a Christmas ceasefire.
The roots of the Sri Lankan Civil War lie in the country's ancient settlement history and the tension between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities. The Tamils arrived on the island as both invaders and traders from India's Chola Kingdom, and the two groups have experienced tension and power disputes since the beginning. During British imperial rule, the tensions between the two groups worsened due to perceived British favoritism of the Tamil minority, which continued even after independence. This favoritism included the establishment of schools in Tamil-majority areas and the preferential appointment of Tamils to bureaucratic positions, which angered the Sinhalese majority.
The civil war had a significant impact on Sri Lanka's Christian and Catholic communities. On Easter Sunday in 2019, three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide bombings. A total of 269 people were killed, and at least 500 were injured. The church bombings deeply shook the Christian and Catholic communities in Sri Lanka, with Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith calling for clarity and justice for the victims. Ranjith has been critical of the investigations, alleging possible collusion between the government and the attackers.
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The Anuradhapura Cross is an archaeological find that suggests Christianity in Sri Lanka before the arrival of the Portuguese
Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka, with around 7% of Sri Lanka's 21 million population identifying as Christian. The majority of these are Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are approximately 1.2 million Catholics in Sri Lanka, representing around 6.1% of the total population (according to the 2012 census).
In 1926, Humphrey Codrington made the most conclusive determination of the cross's origins, based on evidence from a 6th-century manuscript, "Christian Topography", which mentioned a community of Persian Christians residing in Taprobanê (the Ancient Greek name for Sri Lanka). Codrington wrote in his book, "A Short History of Ceylon", that a Nestorian cross belonging to this community could be seen in the Anuradhapura museum. In 1954, the assistant Archaeological Commissioner, Titus Devendra, dismissed the historical reliability of the "Christian Topography" and attributed the cross to the Portuguese, dating it later than 1547. However, academics have since supported the historical accuracy of the "Christian Topography".
The Anuradhapura Cross is considered a variation of the St Thomas Cross due to its shape and possible links to early Christian communities in South India and Sri Lanka. It features unique elements compared to other crosses, including upward-facing fronds at the base, symbolizing the "tree of life". The cross was featured in the official logo of Pope Francis' 2015 visit to Sri Lanka, referred to as the Glorious Cross or the Cross of the Resurrection by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo.
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The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome
The history of Catholicism in Sri Lanka is deeply intertwined with the country's colonial past. It was first introduced to the island by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century, who established a small chapel dedicated to St. Lawrence in Colombo in 1505. Over the following centuries, Portuguese, Dutch, and Irish missionaries spread the religion, particularly along the western and northwestern coasts. The arrival of Catholicism in Sri Lanka is often associated with Father Joseph Vaz, an early Goan missionary who is known as the "Apostle of Sri Lanka." He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1995 and later canonized by Pope Francis in 2015.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has faced various challenges and controversies throughout its history. The community was deeply shaken by a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide bombings on Easter Sunday in 2019, which targeted three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo. The attacks highlighted the ethnic and religious tensions within the country and prompted Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith to advocate for justice for the victims and clarity regarding the responsibility for the bombings.
In addition to external conflicts, the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has also experienced internal struggles. There was an attempted coup in 1962 by Catholic and Protestant army officers, allegedly due to increasing Buddhist influence in the military. The 25-year-long Sri Lankan Civil War, which began in 1983, further divided the Catholic community, with rebels including Catholics in military positions and the Sri Lankan army having Christian members in leadership ranks.
Despite these challenges, the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka remains an important part of the country's religious landscape, with the majority of Christians in the country adhering to the Catholic faith. The Church actively works to maintain peaceful relations with Buddhists and other religious groups, contributing to the religious diversity and dialogue in Sri Lanka.
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Frequently asked questions
Christians make up around 7% of Sri Lanka's 21 million population.
The majority of Christians in Sri Lanka are Roman Catholic, with approximately 1.2 million Catholics in the country, representing around 6.1% of the total population.
Christianity is a minority religion in Sri Lanka and was introduced to the island in the first century. It is said that after Thomas the Apostle's visit to Kerala in AD 52, Christianity was introduced to Sri Lanka due to its close geographical and commercial ties. Portuguese colonialism played a significant role in the spread of Roman Catholicism in the country.
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