Cardinal calls on people to muster courage to enforce system change

By Norman Palihawadane

Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith called on people to muster courage to change drastically the corrupt systems and policies which are detrimental to the well-being of our nation.

Delivering his homily at the Benediction ceremony held on the first Tuesday of the New Year at St Anthony’s Shrine, Kochchikade, Colombo, the Cardinal said that although the courts have pronounced on whose fault the country went bankrupt, instead of taking steps to punish them, the government has chosen to protect the culprits.

“It seems that the government is taking steps to introduce suppressive laws to ensure the protection of those wrongdoers. While the country and her people suffer tremendous hardships, the present leaders and parliament are acting carelessly. They only take care of themselves and their interests,” he said.

“The government and the cabinet ministers are only concerned about their living in luxury with all comforts while children faint in schools as they have no food in their stomachs. Owing to unconcerned attitude of those who rule this country now, we as a nation is akin to a ship floating aimlessly in high sea,” he said.

“It is our hope and pray that people will have the courage and strength to clean this chaos by changing this system of the corrupts, for the corrupts. May the rule of law prevail,” he said.