Colombo (AsiaNews) - The Ministry of Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Sri Lanka has approved a program to enhance the historical places of worship, including churches. The minister T.B. Ekanayake announced the move on Tuesday in person to Card. Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo. The project is deeply desired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The ministry said it wanted to build a positive cultural environment that helps people directly, to achieve a national policy for development of the country.
"As the ministry has decided to preserve historic places of worship - said Card. Ranjith during the meeting - on our part is necessary to protect the different religious cultures, which like the Catholic Church have made a great contribution to the culture of this country. " In particular, the archbishop recalled support for Buddhist compatriots ahead of the forthcoming feast of Vesak, the festival that celebrates Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and parinirvÄna.
Card. Ranjith has urged the Minister to seek ways not only to restore the churches of historical importance, but also to safeguard them. In particular, he mentioned the church of St. Anthony in Kachchativu, about 70 km south-west of Jaffna. The sanctuary needs rennovation as it is located on an almost uninhabited island and without the resources necessary to accommodate more than four thousand Indian pilgrims who arrive each year for the feast of the patron .
During the visit, Minister Ekanayake asked the cardinal to provide a list of churches that may fall within the project. In turn, Card. Ranjith advised him to write to the Sri Lankan Bishops' Conference to inform the other bishops of the initiative.