Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Agenzia Fides) - In a society where everything is interconnected and the flow of information and news is becoming ever faster and more extensive, fake news is the order of the day. It only takes a little for it to go viral and reach every corner of the planet, often causing confusion and chaos, even on issues that affect the lives of believers.
This is what happened in Sri Lanka, where a news story circulated in the local press caused such confusion among the Catholic faithful that the Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka was forced to intervene.
At the end of November 2024, media in the United States of America reported on a "bishop's ordination" of the Sri Lankan evangelical pastor Jerome Fernando, founder of the so-called "Glorious Church", who was ordained bishop by Madhu Krishan, who heads the Synod of the "Global Apostolic Diocesan Churches" in the United States. On their website they describe themselves as "an independent institution legally registered in the USA" which represents "the ecclesiastical spiritual wing (called 'Full Gospel', ed.) of the AUGP GLOBAL PEACE FOUNDATION USA". It is an evangelical church network.
Jerome Fernando calls himself a "prophet" and has recently set up a prayer room, the so-called "Miraculous Dome", which can hold up to 5,000 people and is located outside of Colombo, where he celebrates rites that are broadcast live on television and where he is said to perform miracles. At the end of November, the news of his ordination as "bishop" of the evangelical network to which he belongs spread like a virus in Sri Lanka, causing unease among Catholic believers because the news of an alleged episcopal ordination that was being spread in the media did not correspond to reality. However, everything indicated that the pastor had been ordained as a Catholic bishop.
With regard to Jerome Fernando, known to many in Sri Lanka for his past as a professional cricketer, a controversial debate arose in May last year when he made statements about Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam during a sermon. The sentence that stopped him was: "Buddha sought the light. So he sought Jesus." This triggered a strong negative reaction from the Buddhist community, who accused him of religious intolerance.
After an investigation by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, he was arrested in December 2023 on his return from a trip to Singapore. He was released on bail in January 2024, with various restrictions on his travel abroad and within the country, as well as his public statements on the subject of religion.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka has now clarified the case, stating: "Jerome Fernando is not a bishop of the Catholic Church." The clarification was made through a statement signed by the Secretary General of the Bishops' Conference, Bishop Anthony Jayakody.
"Jerome Fernando is not a Catholic bishop," the statement reads. "A Catholic bishop is in continuity with the successors of the apostles of Jesus. Every Catholic bishop is one of the direct successors of the apostles." Hence the admonition to Catholics in Sri Lanka "not to be misled by such information." (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides 13/12/2024)
