His Holiness Benedict XVI in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est speaks of the charity and the responsibility of the Church: “State agencies and humanitarian associations including the Church to promote the solidarity between all peoples.” Our tsunami response program is a good example of this reflection. Caritas Sri Lanka was able to confront this immense task of rebuilding the lives of the tsunami affected with the help of the Caritas network in collaboration with the government authorities, and the government established agencies. As a result we were able to achieve, what we have achieved today.

When hundreds of thousands of people rendered homeless, wounded and above all left without a future, Caritas Sri Lanka was able to take up this challenge in solidarity with the sister Caritas organizations, who contributed with a magnanimous heart, not only financially, but also by shouldering responsibilities and above all by sharing their know-how and experiences. The tsunami response incarnated in an unconditional commitment to help the most suffering and we succeeded in our mission.

The tsunami response was also a moment of collaboration with our brothers and sisters of other faiths. We shared a common conviction that human sufferings put us all on the path of solidarity, wherein as a human community we can show compassion towards victims. This was also a real success and as children of the soil, in the diversity of our beliefs and in a spirit of dialogue we united our force, before the sufferings and tribulations of the affected people through our gesture of solidarity and expression of love.

I must also underline here that the healthy cooperation extended by government and political authorities at the National, Provincial and Districts levels. This was an important factor for the successful implementation of our tsunami programs. The Holy Father says: “the Church cannot and must not replace the state, but we do need the State to work in accordance with the principal of subsidiarity and acknowledge and support the initiatives arising from the different social forces.”

The Caritas network generously contributed with the necessary funds to take up this huge program and today, looking back I can say with a sense of satisfaction we did succeed in our mission. Hundreds of thousands of families have been rehabilitated, people have been given the possibilities to take up the livelihood activities and above all a very large number of people have been helped to get back to normal life through psychosocial accompaniment. The collaboration between Caritas partners and Caritas Sri Lanka was one of mutual trust, mutual encouragement and above all willingness to work as a team.

It is my duty as the Chairman of Caritas Sri Lanka to thank all those who contributed for the successful completion of the tsunami programs. My heartfelt thanks to the Caritas Internationalis, Caritas partners, Directors and Staff of the National and Diocesan Secretariats and the Members of the Task Force of the Bishops’ Conference for their commitment, dedication and team work to achieve this honourable task. I also express my gratitude to the facilitating and sub facilitating partners who were able to guide and help us in the day to today implementation of the programs. Each affected diocese worked with a sub facilitating partner in a spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding. It is also important for me to extend a special word of thanks on behalf of the Tsunami Task force to the facilitating partner Secour Catholique, (that is) Caritas-France who with discreet and effective efficacy, journeyed with us through these four and half years with a willingness to dialogue and progress together as partners.

I also wish to express my sentiments of gratitude to His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka, the Political authority and the Government officials, who journeyed with us in the mission of rebuilding the lives and homes of the tsunami affected people.

At last but not the least I thank the Bishop-President and all the members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka for accompanying us right throughout our mission.

It looks as if everything was fine. No. We had many and enough difficulties, problems and challenges. We were able to overcome all these because we trusted in the power of God.

And today: Mission accomplished, the journey continues.

Thank You.