The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-07-16
CATHOLICISM IN CEYLON.

When you look at the map, just at
the antipodes of America, you will
notice above the equator, little
speck, like a small pear, falling from
the extremity of India into the Indian
Ocean. This is the island of Ceylon,
writes A. M. Verstracter, S. J., in
America.
Of old, Ceylon was known as the
island of gems and of spices, or even
as the Garden of Eden. It is, how
ever, not with its products nor with its
celestial scenery that l am here con-
cerned, but rather with the progress
of it's Catholicism.
Some 400 years ago, st. Francis
Xavier converted to the Church some
of the northern inhabitants of this
island, and at the end of the Portu-
guese dominion in 1858, the number
of Catholics had reached 100000. But
then came the Dutch, or rather the
Calvinist occupation, when it was for
hidden, under penalty of death, for
any Catholic priest to enter this island
realm.
In 1895 the English conquered Cey-
lon and together with their civilizing
regime, they introduced freedom of re-
ligion. Ere century had elapsed, the
number of Catholics had again risen
to 100000. To these we must add an
other $4,000 as the increase of the last
twenty-three years.
To form an idea Of the position of
the Church in Ceylon, we must bear
in mind that the Island, in extent dou-
BILE, but in population but half of Bel
GUM, numbers about 100000 in
habitants. The great majority are
Buddhists; there are 100000 Catho-
lies; and $4,000 Professionals of all
sects. The Catholics, therefore, form
one-twelfth of the population. In the
metropolis of Colombo they may reach
nearly one-third. %'.
One would, however, be under a
false impression if he were to value
the Importance of the Catholic Church
by her numerical minority. The truth
is that the Catholics are by far the
most preponderant community as re-
CARDS education and social influence,
This was clearly brought out by the
testimony Of a late government cen.
sus. The commissioner, after having
mentioned the progress of Christianity
at large during the past decade, con.
tinued:
The preponderance of Roman Ca
tholicism at the present time is very
marked. In seven out of the nine
provinces of the island more than sew.
enty per cent of the Christians are
Roman Catholics. Roman Catholic.
ism has improved, and is predominant
in every district of the island
In 1885 the Catholic Hierarchy was
first established in Ceylon, with Co.
lombo as an archbishopric, and Jaf
fna and Handy as suffragan sees
Soon after, two new sees were Great.
ed, those of Trincomalie in the east
and Gale in the south. 1t is about
this latter see, the diocese of Gale
that l wish to give a few more par
ticulars.
On the fifteenth of October, 1895
a Bishop, the Right Reverend DR.
Van Reeth, S. j., with four Belgian
missioners, landed at Colombo. To
this little band, the Oblate Fathers
handed over two of their provinces
with some 5000 Catholics, scattered
over the area of 1000 square miles,
also a few churches, of which only
one, the present Cathedral, had a
resident priest.
Such was the new field entrusted
to the Jesuits of the Belgian Province
None of these missioners knew either
Singhalese or Tamil, the two Ian