Sri Lanka’s New Colombo archbishop appeals to all faiths to overcome challenges

(August7, 2009) The newly installed archbishop of Colombo has called on all religions to work together for the betterment of Sri Lankan society ravaged by years of civil war. "We should build a democratic, peaceful, fair and free society," Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith told more than 7,000 Buddhist leaders, Hindu priests, together with Heads of Christian Churches and Catholic laypeople during his installation at St. Lucia's Cathedral in Colombo August 5^th. For this, "we need the support of other religious leaders," said Archbishop Ranjith who had worked as secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments prior to his new appointment. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him to his present post in June after accepting the resignation of Archbishop Oswald Gomis of Colombo, who reached the age of superannuation. During the installation Mass, the 61 year old Archbishop Ranjith noted he was taking over the archdiocese at a difficult and challenging time, when a bloody 25-year civil war has just ended causing havoc to the economy, and has left people divided. Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam of Jaffna diocese welcomed Archbishop Ranjith and said: "The war is over but with your capabilities and experience, you can overcome the remaining challenges.”. The Archbishop explained that the Church wants to work with the president, with political and religious leaders as well as all citizens to build a just, free and democratic society where differences in religion, race or language do not become a cause of division but rather one of unity. A number of Buddhist monks came to the ceremony even though it fell on a day that is important to the Buddhist religion, namely the day of Poya, the full moon. Speaking to them Mgr Ranjit said: “I want to express my total solidarity with the members of the Maha Sangha (Buddhist monks).” The ceremonial Mass was held in Sinhalese, Tamil and English
Oblate Father Tissa Balasuriya, a well-known theologian, said that he expects the Church to "play a big role toward peace and resettlement of displaced people" under the new archbishop's leadership. Archbishop Ranjith was born in Polgahawela, Sri Lanka, on Nov. 15, 1947, and ordained a priest in 1975. Pope John Paul II named him auxiliary bishop of Colombo in 1991.In 1995 he was made bishop of Ratnapura. In 2001 he became assistant secretary in the Congregation for the Evangelisation of peoples. Between 2004 and 2005 he was nuncio in Indonesia before returning to the Vatican to be secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship. The Pope appointed him archbishop of Colombo last June and bestowed the pallium upon him last 29 June. The Archdiocese of Colombo has 657,000 members out of a total population of 5.7 million.