( January 17, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Oblate priest Father Tissa Balasuriya passed away this morning in a Colombo private hospital.
Fr. Balasuriya organized many programs for slum dwellers and campaigned for a just solution to the ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamil rebels. His many books include "The Eucharist and Human Liberation," "Planetary Theology" and "Right Relationships.”
He was excommunicated for his book on "Mary and Human Liberation," published in English in 1990 and formally lifted a year later after Fr. Balasuriya signed a "Statement of Reconciliation.
He was an ucanews.com columnist for several years.
He was born in 1924 at Kahatagasdigiliya in the North Central Province. He did his priestly studies in Rome before being ordained an Oblate priest in 1949. He did postgraduate studies in agricultural economics at Oxford University and other studies at the University of Paris. Fr. graduated in Economics winning to prestigious Kahn Gold Medal in 1945.
He has served as chaplain of the Catholic Students Federation of Sri Lanka and was instrumental in starting biblical and theological courses for young Religious brothers and sisters.
In 1976 he was one of the first to propose what would become the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, and he has advocated a link between African and Asian spiritualities.
Fr. Balasuriya was the Chairperson of the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR).
A funeral service is scheduled for 2pm on Saturday in Colombo.
Fr. Balasuriya organized many programs for slum dwellers and campaigned for a just solution to the ethnic conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamil rebels. His many books include "The Eucharist and Human Liberation," "Planetary Theology" and "Right Relationships.”
He was excommunicated for his book on "Mary and Human Liberation," published in English in 1990 and formally lifted a year later after Fr. Balasuriya signed a "Statement of Reconciliation.
He was an ucanews.com columnist for several years.
He was born in 1924 at Kahatagasdigiliya in the North Central Province. He did his priestly studies in Rome before being ordained an Oblate priest in 1949. He did postgraduate studies in agricultural economics at Oxford University and other studies at the University of Paris. Fr. graduated in Economics winning to prestigious Kahn Gold Medal in 1945.
He has served as chaplain of the Catholic Students Federation of Sri Lanka and was instrumental in starting biblical and theological courses for young Religious brothers and sisters.
In 1976 he was one of the first to propose what would become the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians, and he has advocated a link between African and Asian spiritualities.
Fr. Balasuriya was the Chairperson of the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR).
A funeral service is scheduled for 2pm on Saturday in Colombo.
 Oblate priest Father Tissa Balasuriya passed away this morning in a Colombo private hos...){kind=link}