Name |
: Archbishop Patabendige Don Albert Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith |
Date of Birth |
: 15th November 1947 |
Place of Birth |
: Polgahawela, Sri Lanka |
Father’s Name |
: Patabendige Don William |
Mother’s Name |
: Hettiarachchige Mary Winifred Perera |
Sisters (all younger) |
: Mrs Ranjanie Cooray (deceased) |
|
: Mrs Shalani Fernando (Sri Lanka) |
|
: Mrs Antoinette Biergans (Germany) |
Brothers |
: None |
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Scholastic Studies -
- Roman Catholic Boys’ School, Lunupokuna, Colombo 15
- De la Salle College, Mutwal, Colombo 15
General Certificate of Education
Ecclesiastical Studies -
- St. Aloysius Seminary, Borella, Colombo 8
- The National Seminary, Ampitiya, Kandy
- Diploma Course in Biblical Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1976)
- Pontifical Urban University in Rome, Italy (Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide)
- Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, Italy
- Baccalaureate in Theology - Urban University
Summa Cum Laude Probatus (1974)
- Diploma Certificate in Biblical Studies - Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1976)
- LSS - Licentiate in Sacred Scriptures - Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome) 1978
Magna Cum Laude Probatus
PRIESTLY ORDINATION -
Ordained by His Holiness Pope Paul VI - on 29th June 1975 at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS
October 1978 - Assistant Parish Priest of Pamunugama / Kepungoda / Dungalpitiya
02.06.1980 - Spiritual Director "Daham Sevana"
04.05.1981 - Acting Parish Priest of Payagala
03.08.1981 - Parish Priest of Payagala
20.06.1982 - Staff Member Pre-Philosophate "Daham Sevana"
10.01.1983 - Lecturer (Catechetics) Kalutara Museaus Training College
29.04.1983 - Parish Priest of Kalutara
September 1983 - Appointed National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies
1983 - Professor in Sacred Scripture at the Sinhala Theology Faculty, Colombo
(Blessed Joseph Vaz Deva Dharma Nikethanaya)
13.08.1984 - Archdiocesan Co-ordinator for Human Development
- Archdiocesan Director of Caritas Colombo - Seth Sarana
20.02.1985 - Elected to the Priests' Senate as Priests' representative of the Kalutara Region
01.09.1985 - Parish Priest of Kolonnawa
15.02.1985 - Archdiocesan Chaplain St. Vincent De Paul Society
20.10.1987 - Member of the College of Consultors
20.10.1987 - Member of the Council of Priests
EPISCOPAL ORDINATION AND MINISTRY
17.06.1991 - Appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo and the Titular Bishop of Cabarsussi
31.08.1991 - Episcopal Consecration by Archbishop Nicholas Marcus Fernando at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka, Tewatta.
02.11.1995 - Appointed as the Bishop of Ratnapura
05.01.1996 - Installation as the Bishop of Ratnapura
01.10.2001 - Appointed as the Adjunct Secretary, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Vatican.
29.04.2004 - Appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia and Timor East
29.04.2004 - Appointed as the Titular Archbishop of Umbriatico
10.12.2005 - Appointed as the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Vatican
16.06.2009 - Appointed as the Archbishop of Colombo
05.08.2009 - Installed as the 09th Archbishop of Colombo, at St. Lucia's Cathedral, Kotahena, Colombo 13.
20.11.2010 - Appointed as a Cardinal
20.11.2010 - Appointed as the Cardinal Priest of San Lorenzo, Lucina
NATIONAL ECCLESIAL APPOINTMENTS
1988 – 1991 - Secretary of the Catholic National Commission for Missionary Activity, Sri-Lanka
1992 – 1995 - Chairman of the Catholic National Commission for Missionary Activity, Sri-Lanka
1995 – 2001 - Chairman of the National Commission for Justice, Peace & Human Development, Sri-Lanka
1993 – 1995 - Coordinator/Chairman, National Steering Committee for the Pope’s Visit to Sri-Lanka & Beatification of Blessed Joseph Vaz
1995 – 2001 - Secretary General, Catholic Bishops Conference in Sri Lanka
2010 - President, Catholic Bishops Conference in Sri Lanka
- Chairman, Catholic National Commission for Priests, Religious, Seminaries, and Secular Institutes
2015 - Coordinator/Chairman, National Steering Committee for the Pope’s visit and the Canonization of St. Joseph Vaz.
STATE APPOINTMENTS
- Justice of the Peace for the whole island of Sri-Lanka
- Member of the University Council of the Sabaragamuwa State University, Sri Lanka
INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENTS
- Member of the Restricted Committee of the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS)
- Member, Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office for Evangelization (OE)
- Coordinator – Children’s Desk Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office for Evangelization (OE)
- Member of the Supreme Committee of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Rome
2001 - 2004 - Adjunct Secretary, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Vatican
2001 - 2004 - President, Pontifical Mission Societies, International
2002 - 2009 - Member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses
2004 - 2005 - Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia and Timor East
2005 - 2009 - Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Vatican
INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS CHAIRED
Asian Regional Meetings of the PMS
6th to 10th Sept. 1990 - Monte Fano, Kandy
16th to 22nd Sept. 1992 - Indonesia, Jakarta
10th to 16th Sept. 1994 - Seoul, Korea
4th to 14th Sept. 1996 - Tokyo, Japan
FABC Office for Evangelization
9th to13th Sept. 2001 - Exposure Programme for Asian Bishops at Colombo
16th to 24th May 2002 - Annual General Assembly of the Superior Council of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Rome
8th to16th May 2003 - Annual General Assembly of the Superior Council of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Rome
1st December 2006 - International Study Day on the Sacred Liturgy
1st December 2007 - International Study Day on the Sacred Liturgy
29th November 2008 - International Study Day on the Sacred Liturgy
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
2007 - Thomas Aquinas Medallion in the field of religious education, Thomas Aquinas College, California, USA
2008 - 7th International Award “Giuseppe Sciacca” by the President of the Republic of Italy for achievements in the cultural field
PUBLICATIONS
- Introduction to the Pentateuch (Sinhala) - Published by DDN Publications Colombo
- Several articles in magazines and newspapers.
LANGUAGES
- Sinhala, English, Tamil, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Indonesian Bhasa