His Eminence Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has stated that Sri Lanka should not become subservient to the conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and foreign nations, emphasizing that such dependency undermines the country’s self-respect.
He made these remarks while attending a thanksgiving service held at the Archbishop’s House in Colombo today (09), to mark the 20th anniversary of TV Derana.
The thanksgiving service, held under the patronage of His Eminence Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, was attended by the Founder of TV Derana Media Network, Parliamentarian and entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera, Deputy Chairman Laksiri Wickremage, Executive Director/COO Madhawa Madawala, members of the Board of Directors, senior management, and staff of TV Derana.
His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, during the Divine Liturgy, stated that:
“TV Derana can be described as a media organization that has been active in carrying out its services with the utmost sincerity to inform the public about the various changes taking place and to foster understanding among the people regarding the current conditions in the country.
Therefore, we thank God for the service rendered to the nation of Sri Lanka through this media network. We also wish to express our respect and admiration to its founder, Mr. Dilith Jayaweera, and the network’s leadership.”
His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith further pointed out that many of the things considered moral and civilized today should be regarded as elements that have come from the country’s heritage.
Therefore, he emphasized that this culture and civilization must go hand in hand with the concept of progress. He added that people must learn to choose what is good from external cultures and civilizations that they have not inherited and that they must mature in doing so.
With a heritage that has existed for about 2,600 to 2,700 years, he said that Sri Lankans have the ability to discern whether influences from abroad are good or bad, and that it is not necessary to accept everything that comes from outside.
He further noted that progress is not the same for everyone.
The Cardinal stated that true progress does not lie in imitating others. He emphasized that if there are alternative paths to national advancement based on what is right and suitable for the country, it is the collective responsibility of all citizens to recognize and implement them.
The Cardinal further observed that this duty should not rest solely with the political leadership but with the entire nation.
He remarked that as citizens who love their country, it would be a sign of diminished self-respect to disregard Sri Lanka’s rich heritage and adopt the mindset of those subservient to foreign influences. He added that the people of Sri Lanka too possess dignity and self-respect.
“As far as I know today, if we take five families, at least two of them can be described as families who struggle to earn a daily wage. Due to the harsh living conditions in the country and the current economic difficulties, keeping a family alive for a month has become a serious challenge.”
“Therefore, it is wrong for us to deliberately betray our country’s culture on the one hand, become slaves to other nations, follow their dictates, and erase our country’s heritage. Especially, our young generation must act wisely at this time. Parents, as adults, should also reflect on what we are passing on to our children,” Cardinal Ranjith said.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith urged the public to carefully discern what is right and wrong and called on the media particularly the Derana Media Network, to guide people toward the right path and help build a morally strong society.
He concluded emphasizing that Sri Lanka is a beautiful and blessed nation and requested collective efforts to preserve its spiritual as well as physical beauty, extending his blessings to all.
