COLOMBO: His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith lashed the ministry of tourism for recommending sale of liquor during the Christmas season, questioned whether the Government wants people to get drunk during Christmas.
Citing several newspaper reports of Ministry of Tourism approving certain hotels and restaurants to sell liquor, the Archbishop of Colombo : ” What is this? This is the wonder of Asia. Is this the vision of prosperity? Christmas has been degraded down to this level. Isn’t the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Tourism from this area? He needs to understand that. Profit is not the only goal behind Christmas,” he added.
The Archbishop was speaking at the 125th Jubilee Feast at the Sacred Heart Church in Bollatha on Sunday December 12.
The Easter Attacks Commission and the Report was akin to a charade, Archbishop of Colombo said.His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, pointed out that the country still does not know the full extent of the catastrophe that took place on April 21, 2019, and he feels that the masterminds behind the attack are still at large.
His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith also pointed out that some of the masterminds have not even been questioned yet despite their names appearing in the report compiled by the Commission to Investigate the Easter Sunday Attacks.
“The message for them is to now stay silent and they have played their part,” was the message conveyed by the authorities to us, the Archbishop of Colombo said, emphasizing that if a commission had been appointed with billions of rupees being spent on it, and if thousands of people had testified before it, everything in that report would have been put into action. However, he added that a certain group of suspects have been imprisoned while some still roam free.
If religion ever succumbs to politics, then that is a betrayal of religion, says the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.
He emphasized that religious leadership should always be independent and religious principles should not be thrown away by succumbing to politics.
Pointing out that is is unwise for the clergy of the country to be sitting with political parties today, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith stated that religious leaders cannot be leaders of political parties, and in fact, should stay away from politics completely.
Speaking further, the Archbishop of Colombo also stated that religious leaders should not bow down to the leaders of political parties for enjoyment of any available profit as it is a betrayal of their own religion in front of the society.
“Political leaders are not above religion. If political leaders use religious leaders to strengthen their own political power, it is a great insult to that religion,” he stated.
“ I am a religious leader, and I should be ashamed if I betray my independence for political gain and profit,” the Archbishop of Colombo mentioned.
Moreover, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith pointed out that the people of Sri Lanka have become helpless today, and feel as if they have been abandoned by their religious as well as political leaders.
Emphasizing that this country is a religious country which was nourished by the Buddhist culture, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that all must work together to keep the that Dhamma alive in this country in accordance with lord Buddha’s religious teachings.
“As believers in any religion, we must be committed to upholding these religious principles,” he stated.(With inputs from News First)
