Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith appointed Cardinal

* Only the second Lankan to be so elevated

* Pope Benedict makes formal announcement

Archbishop of Colombo the Most Rev Dr Malcolm Ranjith has been elevated to the position of Cardinal by His Holiness Pope Benedict the xvi th. He will be anointed as Cardinal by the Pontiff at the Vatican on November 20.

The announcement of the elevation of Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith as Cardinal was made by the Pope at his weekly appearance before the faithful at St Peter’s Square yesterday.

A Cardinal is eligible to be elected Pope and also to take part in the conclave to elect a Pontiff. Archbishop Dr Malcolm Ranjith is only the second Sri Lankan after the late Thomas Cooray to be anointed Cardinal.

Malcolm Ranjith was born in Polgahawela to Don William and Mary Winifreeda. He studied at the De La Salle College in Mutwal before entering St. Aloysius Seminary in Borella in 1965.

From 1966 to 1970, he pursued studies in theology and philosophy at the National seminary in Kandy.

He was thereafter sent by the then Archbishop Thomas Cardinal Cooray to further his priestly studies in Rome, he graduated from the Pontifical Urbanian University with a baccalaureate in theology(B.TH).

On June 29, 1975,Malcolm Ranjith was ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI in St. Peter’s Basilica. He then pursued post graduate studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, from where he obtained a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture in 1978; his thesis centered on the Epistle to the Hebrews.

During his time at the Biblical Institute, he studied under Carlo Martini and Albert Vanhoye (both future cardinals), he also attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he undertook scriptural research as a post grad scholar.