By Melani Manel Perera
Dec 30 2020
Food parcels were donated to needy Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim families. For Fr Mantunga, Christmas carries a message of generosity. His Office is committed to human rights.
KANDY – Christmas is a time and an opportunity to share joy and love.
“As Christians we should always share and care for others,” said Father Nandana Mantunga, director of the Human Rights Office of the Diocese of Kandy, speaking to AsiaNews.
To this end, his Office organised a meeting with local needy families and provided them with food parcels.
For Fr Mantunga, “God comes into our everyday life, in times of peace and in times of turmoil, amid joy and sorrow, hope and disappointment, even during pandemics and wars.”
“The Mission of Jesus is to proclaim the Good News to the poor, to open the eyes of the blind, to set the captives free, to cheer up broken hearts, to comfort those who mourn. As followers of Jesus, we share that same mission with our needy people.”
With the participation of many faithful, the local diocese passed on the true message of Christmas, namely “To express love and generosity even with a small gesture, but which can have great meaning,” Fr Mantunga said.
He thanked the Lord for giving the Catholic community the strength to support so many poor families, not only Christians, but also Buddhists, Muslims and Hindu Tamils.
Despite anti-coronavirus restrictions, this year the Human Rights Office also helped victims of torture and rape, inmates and their families, relatives of missing persons and others who suffered a miscarriage of justice.
Human beings deserve dignity and respect, Fr Mantunga stressed.
