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Archbishop Gallagher’s sudden illness disrupts Lanka visit
View(s):The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, fell ill in Sri Lanka while on a visit to commemorate 50 years of relations with the Holy See. Archbishop Gallagher, who arrived in Sri Lanka on November 3, met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, but he could not carry out the rest of the engagements due to his sudden illness. The 72-year-old Vatican official had suffered a minor heart ailment during his flight to Colombo, but it had developed into a more serious situation the following day, a source familiar with the situation said.
Minister Herath confirmed the incident and said Archbishop Gallagher was admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo and is undergoing treatment with several specialists at hand.
He was scheduled to visit the churches that came under terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019, a Thanksgiving mass at St Lucia’s Cathedral in Colombo and meetings with the Mahanayake Theras of the Malawatta and Asgiriya Chapters.
In a statement after his meeting with Archbishop Gallagher, Minister Herath said Sri Lanka views the Holy See as a partner and a steadfast advocate for dialogue, inclusivity, and the protection of religious freedom for all communities.
”We look forward to exploring new avenues for collaboration, particularly on global issues such as environmental sustainability and the challenges facing developing nations,” he said.
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