Cardinal says: Christmas tree on Galle Face, a waste of money

The construction of a Christmas tree on Galle Face Green is a sheer waste of money, and those responsible for this work should be asked to use the funds to construct houses for poor people or provide scholarships to poor children, said the president of the Bishops’ Conference -- Colombo Archbishop, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, yesterday.

He said that though the money was said to have been given by a ministry, the ministry concerned had not been identified. The cardinal made these observations during a media briefing at the Archbishop’s House.

He said the market economy was selling Christmas and making religion a tool. “The late Rev Fr. Marceline Jayakody propagated the idea that, ‘My Christmas is the day the poor have a meal of rice.’ We too hold this view and we can really enjoy Christmas only when the poor join in,” he said.

“This year the theme of Christmas is ‘The Family’. There is a distinct breakdown in family relationships. This is evident in migratory families, and the Bishops’ Conference is planning to bring this to the notice of the government.

“A wife on her return after working abroad finds that her husband has left her and remarried. The family is broken up. The children have become destitute. These women frequently become victims of crime.

“The idea of a small family and abortion are leading people on the wrong path. Therefore, we have taken a decision to organise consultancy services to protect these families,” he said.

The chairman of the Mass Media Commission of the Catholic Church, Bishop Raymond Wickramasinghe and deputy chairman Bishop Emmanuel Fernando were also present at the media briefing.