President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has assured that every possible step will be taken to ensure justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, without allowing the passage of time to obscure the truth.
The President further emphasized that this is a challenge the government must confront, even within its own institutions.
President Dissanayake added that no matter how difficult the situation may be, justice must be served.
The President made these remarks on Monday, while delivering a speech at the felicitation ceremony organized by the Archdiocese of Colombo to mark the 50th Ordination Anniversary of His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith’s sacred priesthood. The event was held at the Archbishop’s House in Colombo.
Addressing the event, President Dissanayake stated that the life of His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith serves as an exemplary model in an era when the moral and spiritual values of society are in decline.
The President stated that His Eminence is deeply engaged in a tireless mission to uphold social harmony and spiritual upliftment. “He is a statesman who has rendered a significant service to the country, a theological scholar capable of articulating the teachings of the Bible with clarity, a powerful orator with the ability to awaken society and above all, a true humanitarian whose influence extends beyond these roles.”
Addressing the gathering, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith reflected on his 50 years of priestly service and commended President Anura Kumara Disanayake for his success in ending a 75-year era of autocratic rule.
He also expressed appreciation for the President’s efforts to dismantle a political culture rooted in spreading division among ethnic communities and emphasized the need for a new approach as the country moves towards becoming a prosperous nation.
On this occasion, to mark the 50th Ordination Anniversary of His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith’s priesthood, a commemorative stamp and first-day cover were officially presented to the President.
His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith was born in 1947 in the Polgahawela area of Kurunegala. He was ordained as a priest on June 29, 1975, at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican by Pope Paul VI. Thereafter, he served in various roles including Assistant Parish Priest, Acting Parish Priest, Lecturer in theology and professor at the seminary. He is proficient in multiple languages, including Sinhala, Tamil, English, German, French, Spanish and Indonesian.
In 1991, under the leadership of then-Archbishop His Eminence Nicholas Marcus Fernando, he was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo, with his episcopal ordination taking place at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka in Tewatte.
Subsequently, on June 16, 2009, Malcolm Ranjith was appointed as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo. A year later, on November 20, 2010, he was elevated to the rank of Cardinal at the Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Italy. With this appointment, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith became the second Sri Lankan to receive the blessing of holding the title of Cardinal. He has held numerous positions both nationally and internationally, including serving as chair of several international assemblies.
His Eminence has been the recipient of numerous international accolades, including the Thomas Aquinas Medal for Religious Studies awarded by the Thomas Aquinas College in the United States and the 7th Giuseppe Sciacca International Award for Cultural Achievement, conferred in 2008 by the President of the Italian Republic. A respected writer as well, he has contributed a multitude of articles to journals and newspapers. (Newswire)
