The 36th death anniversary of His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Cooray falls on October 29, 2024. He was born to a devout Catholic family in Periyamulla, Negombo on 28 December, 1901 and was the fifth child.
After pursuing his secondary education at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo as a junior seminarian, he earned a B.A. degree from the University of London offering Botany, English Literature and Latin. He joined the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) taking his first vows in 1925. His devout character and academic excellence won him the opportunity of being sent to Rome to further his priestly and missionary training.
Ordained
Ordained as a priest in 1929, he returned to Sri Lanka in July 1931 with doctorates in Theology and Philosophy to his credit. Assigned first to the staff of St. Joseph’s College, he was next appointed warden to the Catholic University Hostel and finally became the first Sri Lankan Director of the Oblate major seminary in Borella in 1937. After an eight–year tenure in this office, he was nominated in mid-January 1945 as Co-Adjutor to the then Archbishop Jean-Marie Masson OMI whom he succeeded in July 1947. Thus he became the sixth and the first Sri Lankan Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Colombo.
First Sri Lankan Cardinal
In February 1965 Archbishop Cooray was made Cardinal by Pope Paul VI, the first ever Sri Lankan to be thus honoured. While he is the third Cardinal in the 200-year history of the Oblate Congregation, he is the fifth in Asia. Having administered the Archdiocese for nearly three decades he resigned in September 1976.
His passed away in the house of his retirement ‘Emmaus’ close to the Basilica Church at Tewatte, Rāgama at the age of 87 and his remains were interred in the crypt of the Basilica on November 3 1988 amidst a large gathering of Bishops, priests, religious, lay faithful and State dignitaries. The servant of God had been 63-years an Oblate, 59- years a priest, 43-years a Bishop and 23- years a Cardinal. It is well-known that he passed away while being in a state of sanctity. The cause of his sainthood is now under the purview of the Vatican. An elaborate memorial celebration is scheduled for 26 October involving many churches in and around Negombo.
The Cooray-era dawned with the Independence period of Ceylon in 1948 and meandered through events of profound religious, socio-cultural and political changes. The dawn of Independence saw the birth of nationalism igniting manifold conflicts, tensions and alienation among people. The majority-minority syndrome in the form of Sinhala-Buddhist ethno-nationalism emerged as a reaction to the prevailing vestiges of colonial rule. Articulated in the Buddhist-Commission report submitted by the All-Ceylon Buddhist Congress, it was incorporated with the Act No 24 of 1955.Seen as foreign to local culture, Christianity was perceived as a relict left by colonial powers. The situation normalised with the Constitution of 1972 which made Ceylon the Republic of Sri Lanka with Buddhism beibg given the foremost place also guaranteeing religious freedom for others. Cardinal Cooray attended the promulgation of this Constitution on 22 May 1972. With the Independence-era, also leftist and Marxist ideologies began infiltrating into the country and Archbishop Cooray feared that such influence would derail the benefits of Independence, adversely affect the religious culture of the people and even seep into the universities. However, Cardinal Cooray always steered clear of political involvement yet, standing strongly for social justice and fundamental rights. He dreamed of a motherland of peace and prosperity with differences reconciled in true patriotism and envisioning it an oasis of national unity and ethnic harmony.
Challenges
Archbishop Cooray faced many challenges such as the 1960/61 schools take-over when out of the over 600 Grade-III schools run by the Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Colombo lost over 250. He could safeguard only some Grade I and II schools conceded but retained at heavy cost. Today, these same schools are prestigious and well-known for the quality of education, discipline, safety and character development. Though bereft of schools, to ensure the development of Catholic children, Cardinal Cooray initiated the Daham Pāsala program as well by opening a teacher-training centre in 1972.
Successive Governments which often vacillated paved the way for social unrest among the youth which flared in the youth insurrection of April 1971. The island was plunged in the first-ever virulent and bloody country-wide violence. Though the rebellion was suppressed, the rehabilitation of the errant youth became a formidable task where Cardinal Cooray was ready to collaborate. As a result he readily offered a 150-acre land in Bangadeniya in Chilaw for a farm-school for vocational training.
In the mid-sixties, restriction of visas for foreign missionaries saw the exodus of many Catholic priests and nuns including the Charity Sisters of Mother Teresa, thus creating a great void especially in church administration. However, continuity of spiritual care had to be ensured. It was this challenge foreseen much earlier that prompted Archbishop Cooray to initiate building an indigenous local clergy: one of his unique achievements.
The National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka nestling in close proximity to the Dumbara Valley was thus inaugurated in 1955 with the Jesuit-run Papal Seminary there since 1893 being shifted to Poona. Today, this historic institution has become the nursery of the Catholic clergy. An adverse situation arose for all Christians when Poya-days were declared public holidays with Sunday being declared a working day (Holiday Act 17/1965) till it was amended by Holiday Act 27/1971 restoring Sunday as a holiday. The ceiling on the acquisition of land for the building of places of worship too created difficulties.
Services and projects
His concern for social justice is seen in the Socio-Economic and Development Centre (SEDEC)opened in Kynsey Road, Borella in 1969 which became eventually the National Caritas with its affiliation to the International Caritas organisation. Meant to help the poor, animation and empowerment of vulnerable classes such as plantation workers, farmers, low-income earners and unemployed youth, SEDEC is in the forefront of promoting human rights as well as national reconciliation.
Education in general was one of his priorities.The Aquinas University College in Borella, he founded in 1954 has grown to be a degree-awarding institution providing diploma and degree courses in various branches in view of professional advancement.Today, it has become a hub of higher learning in Colombo. Fr. Peter Pillai OMI, one of Asia’s best brains assisted in this venture.
Youth are able to receive practical skills in the Radio and Electronic Laboratory that was founded in Kotahena in 1962 with Fr. Ignatius Perera, a man of multiple skills, providing training mainly to school drop-outs. The nine-storey edifice named Paul VI Centre in Pettāh co-ordinates all Laity services which includes the Young Christian Workers (YCW) and the Christian Workers Movement (CWM). The needs of the fisher-folk and farmers had been uppermost in his agenda. His rehabilitation projects for victims of natural disasters such as the floods that wreaked havoc in Chilaw and the NCP in the 1950s and of Trincomalee in the 1960s are well recorded.
The pastoral zeal of Cardinal Cooray embraced his entire Catholic flock scattered in 88 churches from Negombo along the west coast through Colombo, Moratuwa stretching to Bēruwala, also along the Kandy road through Kadawata, Nittambuwa to Welivēriya. The Basilica Church of Our Lady of Lanka erected in Tēwatte is a monument in oriental architecture. The massive trees he himself planted here is proof of his great love for the plant-world nurtured even from his student days at St. Joseph’s College.
A retreat house and two convents of contemplative nuns adorn the surroundings of the Basilica, making its environs an oasis for prayer and meditation. In January 1965, on his initiative, a nine-day renewal seminar conducted by the Better World Movement, an international organisation brought in more than 350 participants, including Bishops, priests, religious and the laity to Kandy. It reflected the face of the entire Catholic community of Sri Lanka. A significant spiritual endeavour was the missionary district and Catholic settlements he inaugurated in Anuradhapura in the mid-fifties to care for the scattered Sinhala-speaking Catholics of the North Central Province which to his immense joy became a full-fledged diocese in 1982. Cardinal Cooray is credited with being a founding-father of the Association of Asian Bishops (FABC) with head-quarters in Bangkok and co-founding Radio Veritas based in Manila to beam Catholic programs across South-East Asia.
Great spiritual leader
The Servant of God, Thomas Cardinal Cooray OMI was truly a great spiritual leader and true patriot commanding much respect from both religious dignitaries of his time such as Madihē Pagnāseeha Nāyak Thēra, Ven. Dr. Walpola Rahula Thēra and by those in Government. The New York Times of November 1, 1988 quoting the Vatican said, “During his time as Archbishop, Cardinal Cooray ‘favoured a respectful dialogue with the Buddhists and with other Christians.
During the years of suppression or limitation of religious freedom, Cardinal Cooray constantly affirmed the spirituality of his own mission and the loyalty of Roman Catholics to the Sri Lankan Government’. President R. Premadāsa had said of him: “A personality of exceptional character and grace and an eminent spiritual leader who made a mark in the history of the country and brought to his motherland great honour”. Cardinal Cooray is an illustrious son of the soil with his rare charisma gracing the landscape of our mother-land. May his dream of a united and prosperous Sri Lanka rich in her religiosity, culture and history be ours too.
