Sri Lankan Archdiocese holds Press Week after 40-year gap

(Sept.21,2010) In Sri Lanka, the Colombo Archdiocese has organised a Press Week for the first time since 1970, in a move to prevent fundamentalist sects from attracting Catholics. “One of the causes of Catholics joining fundamentalist sects is precisely the low level of their faith,” explained Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo as he launched the Sept. 19-26 event. Greater faith awareness should also stimulate Catholics to find answers to contemporary problems, he said. “Most young people have hardly understood the essential content of Church belief and the call to witness of life. The Church needs to give them examples of role models and the foundations of Catholic spirituality and faith,” Archbishop Ranjith added.
With the aid of parish groups, the archdiocesan Commission for Social Communication plans to distribute 34,000 Catholic books from 92 Catholic writers in door-to-door home visits. The commission has prepared 141 different banners and posters in Tamil, English and Sinhalese to promote the campaign. Special events for fishermen, farmers, business people and especially children, will also take place during the week, with contributions from leading writers and journalists. Press Week was first launched in 1930 but was abandoned in 1970, owing to lack of support from parishes. Archbishop Ranjith has announced that the program will continue in the future.