Pope Francis to Visit Sri Lanka

On Tuesday, Pope Francis is expected to visit Sri Lanka part of a week-long tour. Pope Francis is the first Pope to visit Sri Lanka since 2009.

Before his departure, Francis said his visit reflects "interest and pastoral concern" for the people of the region.

"To them and to their governments, I wish to voice yet again the desire of the Holy See to offer its own contribution of service to the common good, to harmony and social concord," he said to diplomats at the Vatican.

Pope Francis' visit comes after the nation elected a new government and the end of a civil war between the Hindu Tamils of the north and the majority Sinhala population.

President Maithripala Sirisena took office on Friday.

While Catholic Sri Lankans celebrate the Pope's visit, others demand that he apologize for the historic abuse at the hands of Portuguese colonialists.

During his visit Pope Francis will canonize Joseph Vaz. Vaz re-established the Church in Sri Lanka in the 17th century. He will also visit Madhu, the principal Catholic pilgrimage site in the nation.

The Pope's tour is part of his outreach focused on strengthening the Church's presence in developing nations. He will also visit the Philippines this week.