Self-censorship at tsunami commemoration.Ottawa ON -- Ottawa Archbishop Marcel Gervais, representing Christians at a tsunami interfaith in·ter·faith adj. Of, relating to, or involving persons of different religious faiths: an interfaith marriage; an interfaith forum. commemorative com·mem·o·ra·tive adj. Honoring or preserving the memory of another. n. Something that honors or preserves the memory of another. com·mem service in Ottawa on January 8, omitted any mention of Jesus or of the Trinity in his remarks. Later, he applauded the Prime Minister who had told a story about a statue of Mary and the Baby Jesus at Our Lady of Matara Church on Sri Lanka's south coast. "I was delighted," Gervais said. "I thought it was a wonderful little story. And I thought it was nervy of him to do it" (New Freeman, Jan. 14, 2005). Comment By refusing to mention Jesus and Mary at the commemoration, Archbishop Gervais ignored the small but very vibrant Catholic Christian communities in India and Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (srē läng`kə) [Sinhalese,=resplendent land], formerly Ceylon, ancient Taprobane, officially Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, island republic (2005 est. pop. which suffered greatly and which would be comforted with specific Catholic prayer from a senior Catholic prelate PRELATE. The name of an ecclesiastical officer. There are two orders of prelates; the first is composed of bishops, and the second, of abbots, generals of orders, deans, &c. during this difficult period. |
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