I Am Jaffna

The Bishop

Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam

Jaffna’s Bishop, Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Saundaranayagam, reflects on Jaffna’s earlier relationship with the south, the ruptures that threatened it, and the potential for reconciliation.

Interview language: English

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There was no anxiety, there was no conflict

My hometown is Kayts… the island of Kayts. Just across. Our ancestral home is still there. God has in a way blessed us. We were never in want and all those things.

But somehow or other I had a cousin of mine who long ago had become a priest. He dedicated his life to God. And so that also made an impression on me. So I also decided to become a priest.

Though being an only son, but nevertheless I made that decision.

Kayts is a very rural area and we had our own Catholic college there, St Anthony’s College. Then I joined St Patrick’s College, then St Martin’s Seminary…minor seminary here. At the time the life was very quiet; there was no anxiety, there was no conflict, there was no competition. Not like that sort.

We grew up in an atmosphere where it was very calm and quiet, there was no ethnic strife. When we studied at St Patrick’s College, even Sinhalese students were studying with us from the south. And the medium of instruction was in English, therefore we all studied together. And between the south and the north, the people were moving around and we had the Yal Devi train functioning. And in the morning you get into the train and by evening you are there in Colombo. Same in Colombo also, you are here the following morning. So there was a lot of communication between the south and the north.

Here among the Christians ourselves there was much more communion because the Sinhalese also used to come to Madhu Church in large numbers and we also used to meet them and worship together and so we felt we were one family.

I grew up here and I was a priest working here in Jaffna. From 1981 onwards I was the bishop of Mannar, the first bishop of Mannar. Then in 1992 when our former Bishop Deogupillai retired, I was requested by Rome to take charge of the diocese of Jaffna.

(Laughs) In the church nobody becomes a bishop because he wants to become a bishop. We are chosen to become a bishop. Then you say yes or no. No one has the freedom to say yes or now. So not by your choice you are made a bishop. You are made a bishop.

About this portrait

Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam

Interviewer: Kannan Arunasalam

Assistant: Sweta Velpillay

Editor : Kannan Arunasalam

Recorded: November 11, 2010

First published: July 23, 2023

Last edited: November 7, 2023

Comments

Kannan Arunasalam

November 10, 2010 at 10:01 am

We dropped in at the Bishop's House on a leafy road just outside Jaffna town. The gatekeeper told us that the Bishop was in Mannar and wouldn't be back until late in the evening. So we decided to visit St Mary's Cathedral, built in 1789, just next door and then took a short walk to St Martin's Seminary, where the Bishop had schooled. These charming old buildings, full of history, have thankfully survived the war. The next morning I telephoned Bishop's House to see if he had returned. While I waited for the Bishop to take the phone, I tried to think how one should address a bishop. I had never spoken to one before and was so nervous that the obvious eluded me. I had gotten used to calling all the senior men I had met in Jaffna "uncle", that I'm sure I called the Bishop "uncle" a couple of times during our telephone conversation. Would he still agree to an interview with this blundering fool? The Bishop ignored these slips, and we arranged to meet at his house later that day. The Bishop greeted me warmly, but there was no time for pleasantries. The Bishop took his work seriously and we went straight into the interview. He talked about the church's role in giving the ordinary people a voice during the years of war and now, in facing contemporary challenges for the people of Jaffna. The Church gave him the confidence to stand up to anyone that threatened the freedoms of the powerless. You had to admire his dedication, but I was determined to get the Bishop to loosen up a bit, to talk more about himself, and not just the about problems for the Jaffna man and woman. After all, I had come to talk about his life in connection to the wider events he spoke about. The Bishop dropped his guard just once. After asking him why he decided to join the church as a young man, I asked him whether he had always wanted to be a bishop. Admittedly it was a rather silly question, but it seemed to work. With a little childlike chuckle, the Bishop went on to explain to me how it works in the church and opened up a little for the rest of the interview.
Priyanthi

November 10, 2010 at 01:48 pm

"no anxiety, no conflict, no competition' - think we tend to forget the last.
Nelum Gamage

November 12, 2010 at 04:04 pm

I visited Jaffna four times. As a school girl. During the Ceasefire Agreement. Then in July and October this year. My visits were not limited to Jaffna town as such. I did visit the Mullaitivu jungles as well. I have an important observation to make. The youth in the north are still not into drugs, casinos and other forms of corruption prevalent elsewhere (I may be corrected if I am wrong). The elders in these areas, including the religious leaders, should see that situation does not change. It was heartening to read in Jehan Perera's recent writing on his website that certain well known business groups are to create job opportunities in the north. But that may take time and may be too late.
(@iam_project) (@iam_project)

December 24, 2012 at 06:55 pm

Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas. Listen to the Jaffna bishop's story: http://t.co/MZoIMORg #lka elders http://t.co/6IoaWeDx