The Vatican City and Sri Lanka are marking fifty years of diplomatic relations this year, a milestone commemorated with an official visit by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See.
The Archbishop arrived in Colombo on November 3, where he was accorded a warm official welcome by Arun Hemachandra, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. On the same day, Archbishop Gallagher held discussions with Harini Amarasuriya, focusing on the strengthening of bilateral relations between the Holy See and Sri Lanka.
The following day, November 4, the Archbishop called on Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Wijitha Herath at the Presidential Secretariat, where views were exchanged on international cooperation, as well as the Catholic Church’s vital role in peace-building and national reconciliation.
On November 5, Archbishop Gallagher visited several sites affected by the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks, offering prayers and solidarity to the victims and their families. Later that day, he presided over a Thanksgiving Holy Mass at St. Lucia’s Cathedral, Colombo, held in thanksgiving for the Golden Jubilee of Vatican–Sri Lanka diplomatic relations.
The historic visit of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher stands as a powerful symbol of half a century of enduring friendship, cooperation, and shared commitment to peace between the Holy See and Sri Lanka.
