Shantha Francis

Gregory Shantha Kumar Francis (B.Th., PGDip.P&CC), was an Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala, Sri Lanka.[1][2]

Right Reverend
Gregory Shantha Kumar Francis
Anglican Bishop of Kurunegala
ChurchAnglican Church of Ceylon
DioceseKurunegala
In office2010 – December 2014
PredecessorKumara Illangasinghe
Orders
Ordination1980
by Lakshman Wickremasinghe
Consecration21 December 2010
Personal details
Born1955 (age 64–65)
Polgahawela, Sri Lanka
Previous postArchdeacon

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. "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.
Church of England titles
Preceded by
Kumara Illangasinghe		 Bishop of Kurunegala
2000 – 2015		 Succeeded by
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