Card Ranjith: Sri Lanka must not erase its culture following foreign models
The Archbishop of Colombo made an appeal to this end during celebrations for the anniversary of the founding of the Catholic broadcaster TV Derana. Sri Lankans, who today struggle hard to earn a living, must learn to discern which influences are positive or negative, without passively accepting everything that comes from abroad.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, spoke last Thursday at a thanksgiving mass celebrated in the chapel of the archbishop's residence to mark the 20th anniversary of the Catholic broadcaster TV Derana.
“Sri Lanka,” said the prelate, “should not become subservient to the conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and foreign nations; such dependency undermines the country's self-respect.”
The religious service was attended by the network’s founder, parliamentarian, and entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera, Deputy Chairman Laksiri Wickremage, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Madhawa Madawala, members of the board of directors, senior managers, and staff.
“Thank God for the service rendered to the nation of Sri Lanka through this media network,” said Card Ranjith in his homily.
The prelate stressed that many of the values now considered moral and civil should be recognised as elements already part of the country's cultural heritage. He noted that people must learn to choose the best from external cultures that are not part of their heritage, and mature in this process.
At the same time, with a cultural heritage dating back over 2,600 years, Sri Lankans must be able to discern whether foreign influences are positive or negative, without passively accepting everything that comes from abroad.
“True progress does not lie in imitating others. If there are alternative paths to national advancement based on what is suitable for the country, it is the collective responsibility of all citizens to recognise and implement them," he emphasised.
For the cardinal, this duty should not fall solely on the political leadership, but on the entire country, adding that the people of Sri Lanka also 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,” he said.
“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," on the other, Cardinal Ranjith said. "[O]ur young generation must act wisely at this time. Parents, as adults, should also reflect on what we are passing on to our children,” he added.
Finally, the archbishop of Colombo urged the media, in particular the Derana network, to guide people on the right path and contribute to building a morally strong society.
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