Pope appoints Malcolm Ranjith as Colombo archbishop
Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don -one of his most trusted collaborators in the Vatican and a forceful advocate for justice and peace- to head the archdiocese of Colombo in Sri Lanka.Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige DonA strong leader, he returns as head of the Sri Lankan Church in what many observers see as a particularly difficult moment. A bloody 25-year civil war has just ended with the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers rebels but which has raised many questions about the conduct of the final phase of the war and, more importantly, has not resolved the root causes of that conflict.One of only two Asians in top positions in the Roman Curia the other being Indian Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples he succeeds Archbishop Oswald Gomis, who reached the official retirement age of 75 over 18 months ago.
The Vatican made the announcement on June 16, confirming rumors that have circulated in Rome for almost a year.The Pope has appointed the American Dominican, Father Joseph Augustine ("Gus") Di Noia to succeed Archbishop Ranjith as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and has promoted him to the rank of archbishop. Father Di Noia is well known to the Pope as they worked together in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, when the future Pope was head of that Vatican office and the Dominican priest was under-secretary.
