Colombo (AsiaNews) - On August 29th, the Archdiocese of Colombo will begin a special Year of the Eucharist, which will end August 28, 2011. This was announced to all the priests of the parish by Mgr. Malcolm Ranjith (pictured), Archbishop of Colombo, in a message dated July 16th last.

Mgr. Ranjith’s note recalls the words of Benedict XVI, inthe Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis. The Pope said: "Precisely because of the mystery we celebrate, we must denounce situations contrary to human dignity since Christ shed his Blood for all and at the same time affirm the inestimable value of each individual person".

For this reason, Msgr. Ranjith invites the faithful to visit the parishes of the north and east of the country. The goal is to help in economic and spiritual terms a people "who are not self-sufficient because of the tragic experiences they have faced in the past [the tsunami and civil war between government and LTTE, which claimed many victims and displaced thousands of persons, ed] , showing great respect for their dignity and cultural identity. In these areas their churches need to be rebuilt and their original communities restored”.

The solidarity that this gesture expresses, "would be a beautiful expression of spirituality focused strongly on the Eucharist." " Our Priestly mission reads the letter - is closely connected to the most Holy Eucharist and indeed the Eucharist, in the fullest sense of the word, is our very identity for we are called to this mission to believe, celebrate and live it every day".

In concluding remarks, Mgr. Ranjith writes: " Kindly present the contents of this circular to your people and [together] join in the effort enthusiastically."