Card. Ranjith says Joseph Vaz a model for Church in S. Lanka

The leader of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka hopes the canonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz as the ‎nation’s first saint will "encourage the Catholic community" of Sri Lanka and "serve as an example for ‎the people to be committed to the challenge of their faith mission." Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, ‎Archbishop of Colombo and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka, (CBCSL)  ‎told AsiaNews he hopes Pope Francis will canonize Joseph Vaz when he visits the island nation, ‎January 13-15, 2015.   Known as the Apostle of Sri Lanka for his ingenious apostolic zeal in reviving ‎the Catholic faith in Sri Lanka under the harsh persecution of Calvinist Dutch rule in the 17th century, Fr. ‎Vaz, an Oratoran priest from what is today Goa, India, was declared Blessed by St. John Paul II in ‎January, 1995 in Sri Lanka.  On Wednesday, Sept. 17, Pope Francis cleared the way for the ‎canonization of Blessed Vaz.  Certainly, we would be very happy if His Holiness could do so, ‎especially during the public Holy Mass he will be celebrating in the Galle Face Green in Colombo on ‎the 14th January 2015," Cardinal Ranjith said.  Talking about the missionary zeal of the Fr. Vaz, the ‎prelate said the Apostle of Sri Lanka “ protected and saved the Catholic faith on this island.‎”  ‎‎“Thus, his canonization will not only encourage the Catholic community but also serve as an example ‎for the people to be committed to the challenge of their faith mission.”  He said, “In the midst of the ‎choking effect of secularism and religious indifferentism, which are worse forms of marginalization of ‎religion, Blessed Joseph Vaz's life will be a strong indication for our people of where our options ought ‎to be.”‎ (Source: AsiaNews)