FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-STM-023-2013
January 17, 2013
A Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission
ASIA: A radical and innovative Asian theologian passes away
Fr. Tissa Balasuriya OMI, a Sri Lankan Catholic priest who once came to the attention of the world due to his
excommunication by Rome which was later lifted, passed away yesterday in Colombo. He had been unwell for some time and
was 89 years of age at the time of his death.
He was a trained economist and was ordained as a priest in 1953. He worked in many capacities such as the rector of the
Aquinas University College, which was developed as an alternative for those who could not attend University, for many
years and was the founder of the Centre for Religion and Society in Colombo. He played a prominent role in developing
close links with all other religions and participated jointly with others in many progressive initiatives relating to
various issues in Sri Lanka.
Beginning his career as a conservative priest growing under the tutelage of the then well renowned Fr. Peter Pillai, Fr.
Balasuriya responded to the social changes that were taking place in Sri Lanka and began to call upon the Catholic
Church to understand these changes positively and not to take a reactionary stance. His political acumen was, in fact,
recognised by SWRD Bandaranayke, who later became a prime minister who invited Fr. Balasuriya to work with him. He
refused and wanted to respond to the changes in Sri Lanka in his own way.
When Pope John XXIII announced the Second Vatican Council in the early 60s Fr. Balasuriya and a few others such as
Bishop Leo Nanayakkara responded positively and, in fact, this Council's teachings were to change their world views and
their lifestyles. Later, other prominent persons like Fr. Michael Rodrigo, who was assassinated in 1987 and Fr. Alloy
Peiris and many others took the same teachings as their guiding light for their lives and work.
Perhaps some of Fr. Balasuriya's most active years in life were those immediately following the Vatican Council where he
devoted his time to introduce these ideas to Sri Lanka and, in fact, to Asia as a whole. He was one of the pioneers of
the Asian theological groups who were to approach the problems of religion with a deep commitment to society,
particularly to the issues of justice. He also gained recognition as one of the most prominent writers on theological
issues from this perspective in Asia.
His passionate pursuit of the Vatican perspectives led him to engage with the most progressive social thought of his
time in many fields. He took the issue of gender seriously and studied feminist thinkers and theologians. It was his
engagement on this issue which led to his excommunication relating to a book he wrote entitled Mary and Human Liberation. Though attacked on some technical expressions close observers say that the actual attack was on his agreement of the
ordination of women as priests.
When the excommunication was announced he openly challenged it and demanded to be shown the issues on which he had erred
theologically. This challenge was never answered. However, he was under severe pressure due to one of the most intense
international campaigns in his favour which caused severe embarrassment to the Catholic Church. A team of theologians of
his religious order arrived in Sri Lanka and had several days of negotiations with him and he was requested to make some
statement for the sake of compromise. Later his excommunication was lifted. Perhaps this is the only excommunication in
the Catholic Church which was to be lifted in such a very short period.
Fr. Balasuriya was essentially a thinker. He tried to provoke thought on national issues and also theological issues
within the Church.
He lived the last years of his life very much in quietness as the overall environment within the Catholic Church had
become hostile to the theological positions of the Vatican Council. However, to the last he remained a disciple and
promoter of these teachings.
His work and writings will survive him and may contribute to the development of discourse in the future.
Fr. Tissa Balasuriya was a friend of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). The AHRC played a very active role in
creating a global protest against his excommunication.
May he rest in peace.
# # #
About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia,
documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these
rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.
ENDS