Shantha Francis
20th and 21st-century Sri Lankan Anglican bishop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gregory Shantha Kumar Francis served as the Anglican bishop of Kurunegala.[1][2]
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 |
| Successor | Keerthisiri Fernando |
| Previous post | Archdeacon |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1980 by Lakshman Wickremasinghe |
| Consecration | 21 December 2010 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1955 (age 70–71) Polgahawela, Sri Lanka |
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 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, Francis was nominated by the International Counter Narcotic Association to be a consultant on rehabilitation and counselling.
On 6 January 2015 the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced that Francis had resigned as Bishop of Kurunegala.[5] In a statement by 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 Priyadharshin and has two sons, Prabath and Pramith.
