Controversy erupts over Cardinal’s move to take over Kithudana Pubuduwa

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith on Thursday issued a decree taking over all lands and other assets belonging to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (CCRM) or the Kithudana Pubuduwa, according to a telecast by the Catholic tv station Verbum.

The move reportedly brings under the clergy the hitherto lay control lands and other assets.

The donations by members of the CCRM collected from the tithes and other assets will also be brought under the clergy.

The Movement was begun by Rev. Fr. Oscar Abayaratne in 1970 and celebrated its Golden Jubilee four years ago.

Fr. Oscar Abayaratne passed away a few years ago and the Cardinal announced on Thursday that Fr. Robinson Wijesinghe was being appointed as the new Spiritual Director of the Pubuduwa or the Apostle of Renewal while other priests will be in charge of the land, finances and other assets.

A Kithudana Pubuduwa spokesman told the Sunday Times it was a deep shock that a lay movement must now being taken over by the clergy at a time when even the Vatican and Pope Francis were promoting more lay participation and close involvement in important church issues.

The Sunday Times yesterday contacted the Cardinal’s spokesman Rev Father Cyril Gamini regarding the decision taken to take over the assets of the CCRM but he said he was not in a position to comment on the issue immediately as he was not aware of the facts.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith is also the Archbishop of Colombo.

Meanwhile a group of fishermen held a protest in front of the Archbishop’s House in Colombo claiming that the chruch was trying to reclaim the ‘Lellama’ in Negombo which was run by the fishermen.

But, the church said that the ‘lellama’ was owned by the church and was reclaimed as the conditions of the agreement with the fishermen had been violated.