Rt. Rev. Dr. Leo Nanayakkara OSB, whose 35th Death Anniversary fell on 28th of May 2017 was the fourth Catholic Bishop of Kandy and the first Catholic Bishop of Badulla. He passed away on 28th May 1982 on his way to an important Bishop’s Conference meeting in Colombo.
Bishop Leo then Gerald Conrad Nanayakkara was a clerk in Government service before he entered the Benedictine Monastery of Monte – Fano(Sri Lanka) in 1941. He was ordained in 1950 at the age of 33 and he joined the tutorial staff of St. Anthony’s College, Kandy.
Nine years later he was consecrated the Bishop of Kandy. Though Bishop Leo Nanayakkara was a late vocation, he was not late to understand the message of God. He did not undermine the insight he got and the inner call he had from God. He did not betray that call in order to be loyal to worldly requirements.
He categorically stated that the voice of the poor and the oppressed is the voice of God. After visiting 200 people Vinobha Bhave said that he met God 200 times.Bishop Leo appreciated this statement in one of his articles. He did not remain at lip service level.
He worked with people of all walks of life. He was a close companion of the estate workers in upper Uva, peasants in lower Uva, marginalized people such as beggars and the poor in slums and shanties. This was witnessed by the banners put up at his funeral.
Bishop Leo wanted to go to the roots of the bible and let his followers see the real God of the poor who had been struggling with them throughout the times of oppression. This approach was quite different from the approach of the fundamentalists who are funded by Euro-American aimless scattered groups.
Bishop Leo introduced a new way of priestly formation. He didn’t want to pump the western way of priestly life into his pastors. In consultation with Rev.Fr.Prof.Aloysius Pieris S.J,Rev.Fr.Michel Rodrigo O.M.I and Rev.Fr.Tissa Balasooriya O.M.I this newly introduced priestly formation programme was planned. He wanted to see his pastors feel the pulse of the poor; the down trodden; the voiceless and the oppressed.
This diocesan seminary was called ‘Sevaka Sevana’ (the house of servants).The trainee pastors of this seminary were sent in exposure immersion programmes with people of all walks of life. Later on at the seminary they philosophized and theologized the experiences they gathered and the insight they gained.
If we try to see this in the Buddhist point of view Bishop Leo was a man of ‘Patisothagami’ (who swims against the tide).He was a person ofAppamadho (the one who is not late as well as who is always with the sense of duty- samma sathito gain noble vision- samma ditti).
Bishop Leo had a great respect for Buddhism. Once speaking to the Catholic priest and nuns in Badulla Diocese, Bishop Leo advised them to find the secret of the inspiration of Buddhist monks who devote their lives to seek the emancipation while meditating in the thick jungles amidst all the difficulties, and follow it.
He believed that Christians can get the inspiration of Buddhist way of life to follow Jesus meaningfully.
As catholic university students at that time we were badly in need of a spiritually sharpened vision to understand the reality and struggle with it. There were two beacon lights to show the path. They were Bishop Leo Nanayakkara and Bishop Laxman Wickramasinghe, then Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala.
Bishop Leo stood out fearlessly for the cause of the oppressed and down trodden. This got him drawn in controversy and conflict. But according to his writings we find that he anticipated it.He was mainly poundedby the inner circle than the outside. His option was very clear.
He was not ambiguous. He was straight forward. He spoke even to Holy Pope in Rome frankly. On 2nd February 1981 he writes to His Holiness regarding Holy See’s visit to Asia. He stresses in his letter that only visiting to Philippines, Japan and Pacific Islands will not help the Holly See to realize the Asian reality.
“We would like to invite Your Holiness to visit our lands and to find a way of freeing yourself from protocol in order to meet the ordinary people of Asia,to talk with them and listen to what they have to say.
Finally may this visit to Asia, though it be to Catholic Philippines and secularized Japan help you to come closer to the great religious traditions of our peoples.
Together with them the church can participate in the great human struggle for survival and fullness of life that the Asian masses too yearn. And may your coming help to incarnate the Church in the Asian policy.”
Bishop Leo was very clear in his vision. He realized the root causes of socio economic problems. He new that the vicious roots of capitalist political & economic system exploit the poor by force and without uprooting these malicious roots it was difficult to gain emancipation for the oppressed.Commenting onsocio economic crisis of the time he made the following statement.
“My studies have led me to the conclusion that it is capitalism and the capitalist ideology that brought about this crisis” (Christians and Socialism - 1977).
So being open to the world as Vatican 11 allowed, he appreciated the socialism which was the way to go against capitalism.Therefore he consented many Christian laity, priests, nuns, brothers and bishops give their lives with generosity in the service of the poor by joining socialist and liberation movements.
Bishop Leo always encouraged people to struggle in non violent manner. He was against violence oppression and exploitation. He encouraged Christians to follow Jesus in a meaningful way.
He asked the people to find answers for the question “Why did Jesus die on the cross?” So Bishop Leo was not only a person who believed in socio-economic dimension of human beings but also a person who believed in the importance of their spiritual growth as well.
So “Blessed are those who died in the Lord, for their good deeds go along with them”Dear Lordship, you are still warmheartedly remembered by the people who were encouraged by you to see the world through Jesus the liberator.
Dr.Alex Perera