Bishop-elect Cletus Chandrasiri Perera has gone to Rome for his episcopal ordination, saying he wants to avoid the great fuss and local expense of a ceremony in Sri Lanka at a difficult time.

"I would like to have my consecration in Rome, in a simple ceremony with one or two people," the bishop-elect for Ratnapura diocese told UCA News before flying to Rome for the scheduled July 11 ordination ceremony.

"I don't want to waste the money and time of the people" on a "mere external transition," he said, given that they "are suffering a lot."

With the civil war and economic hardship in his country, the Sylvestro-Benedictine priest felt the cost of hosting a large celebration in Ratnapura would be too high.

Instead, he said, there will be a "simple ceremony" at the Church of Twelve Apostles in Rome, where he will be ordained by Bishop Vianney Fernando, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Father Perera the third bishop of Ratnapura diocese on May 4. He plans to formally take charge of the diocese on July 28 with a simple ceremony at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ratnapura, about 100 kilometers southeast of Colombo.

Father Milton Wickramasinghe, the cathedral parish priest, told UCA News, "We have planned to welcome him very warmly in a simple way as he wishes, but with a solemn liturgical service."

Father Nandana Manatunga, parish priest of St. Mary's Church in the bishop-elect's former diocese of Kandy, described him as "a man for the poor" and said he wanted "to have a very simple ceremony" and begin his work. According to Father Manatunga, a public ordination in Sri Lanka would cost the Church 1 million rupees (US$10,000).

Laypeople told UCA News they wanted to offer the new bishop a suitable welcome but understood his reasons.

Theobold Samaratunge, a cathedral parish council member, said the bishop's reasons had been announced. "We would have liked a big ceremony, even if we are a poor diocese with few Catholics, but we respect his wishes," he told UCA News by telephone.

Neetha Fernando, 52, a diocesan lay counselor, told UCA News the new bishop is "simple and different." She said they were preparing to receive him, "a great event for a poor diocese," but respected his wishes.

Ratnapura diocese, which was carved out of Galle diocese in 1995, has 20 parishes and 21,855 Catholics, served by 25 priests and 77 Religious.

Bishop-elect Perera said his work will be difficult in what he termed a "developing diocese" where Catholics are few.

The diocese has been without a bishop for nearly 28 months. On Jan. 20, 2006, the pope named Father Ivan Tilak Jayasundera as the new Ratnapura bishop. However, the 46-year-old bishop-elect resigned before taking office due to poor health.

The former bishop of Ratnapura, Bishop Harold Anthony Perera of Galle, was named apostolic administrator. The first bishop of the diocese, now Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith, 59, currently serves as secretary of the Rome-based Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Bishop-elect Perera has chosen as his episcopal motto Per Crucem Ad Lucem, which means, "through the cross to the light." His colleagues say he prays the way of the cross daily to contemplate the passion of Jesus.

He was born Sept. 6, 1947, in Seeduwa, in Colombo archdiocese. He joined the Order of Saint Benedict (OSB) in 1964 and was ordained a priest on Aug. 4, 1973. He studied in Rome 1978-81 and obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of the University of St. Anselmo.

In 1984, he was appointed parish priest of Wahacotte, in the central diocese of Kandy. He later served as vicar general of the diocese for eight years. He worked on justice and peace issues, and during his service in Kandy was director of the diocesan pastoral center, diocesan youth coordinator and general manager of Catholic private schools.

UCAN

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