The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka had decided to boycott government functions over Christmas and has threatened to institute legal proceedings against the country’s National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and its chairperson, after a nun was arrested for child trafficking.On Friday night November 25 at around 11:00pm, some police officers and officers from the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) arrested the superior of a Missionaries of Charity convent, Rev Sr Mary Eliza, an Indian sister, and imprisoned her at Welikada Prison, on a charge of child trafficking. She was later released on bail.
“Police, NCPA officials and media rushed to our facility,” Sr Mary Eliza said before her arrest.
“They cross-examined the unwed mothers and took away many documents. We have never been involved in child trafficking. It is against our faith,” she reiterated. “Our mission is to take care of unwed mothers and their children. We have never taken money for our work. Children are adopted in accordance with the law.”
Afterwards some media reported that the Sisters had been selling children and one newspaper accused the missionaries of selling, “the future of the country to foreigners for few thousand rupees.”
At a press conference last weekend, the head of the Church in Sri Lanka, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, strongly denied that the sisters were running a “baby farm” and he condemned the detention. In protest, he said he would boycott all government functions until Christmas.
“The NCPA gave interviews to the media without investigating the anonymous call they received,” said the Cardinal, “and the NCPA and police gave the media incorrect information which was used maliciously against the nuns.”
According to a report in Sri Lanka Mirror, the Christian Affairs Minister Milroy Fernando has now been informed of the decision to initiate legal proceedings by the Catholic Church against the NCPA and its chairperson.
The Prem Nivasa provides shelter for abandoned children and unwedded pregnant mothers and places children for adoption according to the country's rules and regulations.
Sr Mary Eliza is the first Missionary of Charity ever to be imprisoned out of the 5,040 sisters serving in 760 convents worldwide.