Shantha Francis
| Right Reverend Gregory Shantha Kumar Francis |
|
|---|---|
| Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala | |
| Church | Anglican Church of Ceylon |
| Diocese | Kurunegala |
| In office | 2010 – December 2014 |
| Predecessor | Kumara Illangasinghe |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1980 by Lakshman Wickremasinghe |
| Consecration | 21 December 2010 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1955 (age 68–69) Polgahawela, Sri Lanka |
| Previous post | Archdeacon |
The Most Rev. Gregory Shantha Kumar Francis (B.Th., PGDip.P&CC), was an Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala, Sri Lanka.[1][2]
Gregory Shantha Kumar Francis was born in 1955 in the village of Polgahawela, Sri Lanka.[3] He is an Upcountry Tamil, and fluent in Sinhala, English and Tamil.[3]
Francis was appointed as deacon in 1978,[3] receiving his Bachelor of Theology from the University of Serampore the same year. In 1980 he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Pastoral and Clinical Counselling from Nawa Jeewana Institute of Psychology, Colombo and was ordained as a priest in the Church of Ceylon.[3] He was the chaplain at Hillwood College, Kandy (1993-2000), Trinity College, Kandy (2001-2004). Francis also obtained a Higher Diploma in Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Counselling from the Anti Narcotic Association of Sri Lanka.
On 7 November 2010 Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, appointed Francis as the fifth Bishop of Kurunegala in the Church of Ceylon, succeeding retired Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe.[4]
In 2012, he was nominated by the International Counter Narcotic Association to be a consultant on rehabilitation and counselling.
On the 6 January 2015 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced that Francis had resigned as Bishop of Kurunegala.[5] In a statement by Bishop Francis he advised that he had been threatened by Tamil diaspora groups opposing his stand for a unitary state and the sovereignty of the country.[6][7][8]
Francis is married to Priyadharshini, and has two sons.
See also
References
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External links
- The Church of Ceylon (Anglican Communion)
- Anglican Church of Ceylon News
- Worship Resources including a Prayer for Sri Lanka written by Metropolitan Lakdasa de Mel
| Church of England titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bishop of Kurunegala 2000 – 2015 |
Succeeded by - |
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