Right Reverend
Gregory Shantha Kumar Francis
Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala
ChurchAnglican Church of Ceylon
DioceseKurunegala
In office2010 – December 2014
PredecessorKumara Illangasinghe
SuccessorKeerthisiri Fernando
Orders
Ordination1980
by Lakshman Wickremasinghe
Consecration21 December 2010
Personal details
Born1955 (age 67–68)
Polgahawela, Sri Lanka
Previous post(s)Archdeacon

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 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.

References

  1. ↑ "Provincial Directory: Kurunegala". Anglican Consultative Council. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Bishop of Kurunegala". Diocese of Kurunegala. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "New Tamil Bishop to mend decades-old rift". UCANews.com. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Senevirathne, Shane (28 November 2010). "New bishop for Kurunegala". Sunday Times. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  5. ↑ "Bishop of Kurunegala resigns — Lambeth Palace statement". Anglican Communion News Service. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Bishop plans to resign". Daily Mirror. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Kurengala Bishop gets threats". Colombo Gazette. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Don't Talk of Unitary Status". Ceylon Today. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.


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