Native name தோமசு சௌந்தரநாயகம் Successor Justin Gnanapragasam Church Roman Catholic Church | Installed 6 July 1992 Term ended October 13, 2015 Name Thomas Savundaranayagam | |
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Other posts Bishop of Mannar (1981-92) Born 13 July 1938 (age 85)
Kayts, Ceylon ( 1938-07-13 ) Alma mater Pontifical Urban University Province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo | ||
Predecessor Bastiampillai Deogupillai | ||
Right Reverend Emmanuel Thomas Savundaranayagam (Tamil: இம்மானுவேல் தோமசு சௌந்தரநாயகம்; born 13 July 1938) is a Sri Lanka Tamil priest and former Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna.
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Early life and family
Savundaranayagam was born on 13 July 1938 in Kayts on the island of Velanaitivu in northern Ceylon. He was educated at St. Anthony's College, Kayts and St. Patrick's College, Jaffna. He then studied at St. Martin's Seminary, Jaffna and National Seminary, Ampitiya (1957-64). Savundaranayagam has a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical Urbaniana University and a Diploma in Catechetics.
Career
Savundaranayagam was ordained as a priest in December 1963. In January 1981 he was appointed Bishop of Mannar and was ordained as a bishop in July 1981 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu. He became Bishop of Jaffna in July 1992. He retired in October 2015.
Savundaranayagam is a strong activist for Tamil rights in Sri Lanka and humanitarian efforts in what is sometimes called "Tamil Eelam". He had called for international intervention to stop the Sri Lankan conflict.