Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith took a controversial decision during the ‘aragalaya’ period. That is, not to meet any politician. It has been a year since the struggle ended. But he stayed true to his policy and did not meet any politician. This policy of his also affected former President Gotabaya. Gotabaya tried to meet His eminence Cardinal several times during his presidency, but the Cardinal refused to meet him. Gotabaya resigned from the presidency and Ranil became the president. Cardinal did not change his policy even though it is usually the tradition to meet when a new President is appointed .
Cardinal took that upright step because the politicians did not enforce the law against those responsible for the Easter attack. Gotabaya became president and did not implement the law. Ranil was the prime minister at the time of the Easter attack, and the presidential commission to investigate the Easter attack had accused Ranil of failing to prevent the attack. Because of this, there was no trust in Cardinal about Ranil.
As the president Ranil tried to meet the cardinal but when that failed, he tried to meet the bishops of the Catholic Church separately. For this he used those UNP leaders who had close relationship with bishops. AS soon as Ranil became President he met Kurunegala Bishop Harold Anthony Perera on October 02, 2022. Next, he met Bishop Valence Mendis on May 20, 2023. These bishops met Ranil in violation of the cardinal’s policy decision. The ‘aragalaya’ received the support of Cardinal and the Catholic bishops’ Conference because of the lack of justice for the Easter attack.
The Catholic community played a major role in the ‘aragalaya’. Priests also actively participated in it. When Ranil became president and suppressed the struggle, Father Jeevantha Peiris, who was active in the struggle, was arrested. Catholic media activists were arrested. When Ranil was carrying out such a repressive policy against the ‘aragalaya’, the bishops met Ranil as if approving that repression.
After establishing relations with these bishops, Ranil became close to the Pope’s Envoy to Sri Lanka, Archbishop Brian Udaigwe. It was the archbishop who decided to bring Ranil to the annual Feast of the Madu Church. The archbishop not only brought Ranil to Madu Church but also brought him on to the altar and allowed him to make a political speech and praised it.
Ranil made a lot of promises from the altar of Madhu Church to win Catholic votes targeting the presidential election. This caused the displeasure of the devotees who came to the Madu Church. The official newspaper of the Catholic Church criticized Ranil’s political because the displeasure was aimed at the Church. In the history of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, politicians have never been given an altar to make speeches. Catholics in this country strongly disliked this. Archbishop Brian Udaigwe is responsible for this.
He has made the Catholic community in this country slave of politicians. A new Archbishop of Sri Lanka is to be appointed soon. A bishop who is eagerly waiting to become the new Archbishop of Sri Lanka is also conspiring to become Archbishop with the help of Archbishop Brian and Ranil alliance, a Catholic priest who did not want to reveal his name questioned that Archbishop Brian is unknowingly conspiring with Ranil to divide and destroy the church?
