Christians and other faith communities in Sri Lanka have paid tribute to Anglican Bishop Kenneth M. Fernando, commending him for defending human rights during the country’s civil war and promoting dialogue across ethnicities and faiths.
Fernando died on Sept. 3 at the age of 93 in the national capital, Colombo.
Born on July 25, 1932, Fernando studied at the University of Oxford and served as the Bishop of Colombo from 1992 to 2001.
He also served as president of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), a pan-Asian ecumenical organization, from 1995 to 2000.
In 2022, the conference honored him for his decades of “visionary ecumenical leadership.”
In a statement on Sept. 3, the CCA hailed the bishop’s contributions to society during Sri Lanka’s darkest period.
“Bishop Fernando was widely respected for his unwavering commitment to reconciliation during Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war. He courageously championed peacebuilding initiatives and sought to bridge divides between warring ethnic and religious communities,” the statement said.
“His outspoken advocacy for peace, however, also came at great personal risk. At the height of the conflict, his residence was bombed by those unhappy with his efforts to foster reconciliation. Undeterred, he continued to work tirelessly to build trust, foster interfaith harmony, and strengthen collaboration among religions in Sri Lanka and across Asia,” it added.
Sri Lanka’s civil war (1988-2009) was sparked by an ethnic Tamil insurgency against the Sinhalese-dominated government for a separate homeland.
The United Nations estimated that between 80,000 and 100,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed, tens of thousands were injured, and thousands of others went missing during the conflict.
Nadeesha Wickrema, 76, a Buddhist and human rights campaigner, said Fernando made relentless efforts along with other activists to find and discuss ways of bridging gaps between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil communities.
In 1999, Fernando joined Buddhist monks and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo on several occasions to meet Tamil rebel leaders to press for peace negotiations, he said.
“He undertook remarkable efforts seeking reconciliation … to establish bridges of peace,” Wickrema told UCA News.
As the director of the Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue, Fernando promoted interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, said the CCA secretary general, Mathews George Chunakara.
“The bishop’s contribution to Asian ecumenism will be cherished and his legacy will inspire generations of Christian leaders,” Chunakara said Sept. 3.
Ralston Weinman, Consultant for the Interfaith Program at the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, said Fernando was the first Sinhala religious leader to travel to the rebel-held North and meet rebel leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran.
After returning, Fernando referred to the rebel as ‘Mr. Prabhakaran’ as a gesture of respect, which Sinhala nationalists strongly criticized. He remained courageous and committed to peace, despite such challenges,” Weinman told UCA News.