Vatican City: As the Vatican and Sri Lanka celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations, discussions have begun about a possible visit by the Pope to the island nation. The idea was raised by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, during his official visit to Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Archbishop Gallagher visited Sri Lanka from November 3 to 8 to mark the golden jubilee of relations established between the Holy See and Sri Lanka on September 6, 1975. During his meetings with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other senior officials in Colombo, the Archbishop spoke about the possibility of the Pope visiting Sri Lanka in the future.

He said that the Pope may consider such a visit in recognition of Sri Lanka’s efforts to promote peace, social harmony, and inter religious unity in recent years. The Archbishop also praised the country’s progress in rebuilding from political and economic challenges.

While the Vatican has not confirmed any official plans for a papal visit, Archbishop Gallagher’s comments have sparked optimism among Sri Lanka’s Catholic community. The last papal visit to the country was in January 2015, when Pope Francis canonized Saint Joseph Vaz, known as the Apostle of Sri Lanka, during a Mass in Colombo.

The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has played a key role in education, health care, and peacebuilding, especially in the aftermath of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. A future papal visit is expected to strengthen ties between the Holy See and Sri Lanka and encourage continued dialogue among the nation’s diverse religious communities.

Vatican sources suggest that any decision about a papal trip will depend on global scheduling and Sri Lanka’s readiness to host such an event. For now, both sides are focused on celebrating half a century of friendship and cooperation rooted in faith, diplomacy, and mutual respect.