Pope Francis on Saturday told Sri Lankans living in Italy that he hoped to take up an invitation to visit their country, where the wounds of civil war still needed to heal.
The Pope met a group of Sri Lankan pilgrims, led by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, who proffered the invitation.
He responded: "I thank Cardinal Ranjith for the invitation to visit Sri Lanka. I welcome this invitation and I think the Lord will grant us the grace."
He also spoke of the need to heal wounds from Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war, which ended in 2009.
An estimated 6 per cent of the country's population are Roman Catholic.
The Vatican sees Asia as a region of growth for Catholicism. It has previously indicated that Francis is planning to visit South Korea this summer in what would be his first visit to the Asian continent.
