Tissa Balasuriya, o.m.i.
29th August 1924- 17th January 2013.
One year ago on the 17th January 2013 Fr. Tissa passed away. Even though he was ill for some time and struggling with the weight of 88 years, his death still came as a surprise for his family, co-workers at CSR and friends in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
On the 29th of august, 2013, the day of his birthday, the government of Sri Lanka issued mail stamps in his honour.
Today one year after his demise his well known book “Mary and Human Liberation” first published in 1990 will be launched again in Colombo at CSR.
This last year two main events took place which would have had special attention of Tissa in case he would still have been alive: the election of the new pope Francis with his very special attention for poor and stateless people in the world, and also the death of Nelson Mandela, freedom fighter in South Africa against racism and apartheid which brought back the memories and the necessity of an ongoing struggle against exclusion.
Both poverty and racism were the central issues in the work, attention and activism of fr. Tissa. Unfortunately he was not able to see what happened and still happens in the world due to these two important events.
Fr. Tissa will not easily be forgotten in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Let us hope that CSR (Centre for Society and Religion) will be able to go on with his legacy and stand firm for justice, peace and ethnic and religious harmony in the beautiful country of Sri Lanka.
Some few texts as well as a more extended biography will still be added to this blog in the future.
Tissa Balasuriya 