Celebrating a Boxer and a Cardinal

"Sri Lanka has produced a world class boxer. However, can it be said that Sri Lanka’s religious leaders of whatever religious persuasion have produced a leader blessed with religious integrity? Is it not true that people of the respective faiths are promoted, not for their religious ideal, but rather their diplomatic skills for self promotion?"

BY OUR POLITICAL EDITOR

(October 22, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) While the Sri Lankans were celebrating the wining of a gold medal by one of their boxers, Manju Wanniarachchi, Sri Lankan Catholics are celebrating Mgr Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, being elevated to the office of Cardinal. While the boxer has won his medal in a hard fight, the Bishop has become a cardinal by his diplomacy rather than his holiness. The conservative Pope, who was responsible for the excommunication of Fr. Tissa Balasuriya, has rewarded his collaborator from Sri Lanka for assisting in that excommunication. It was Mgr Malcolm who provided a file of accusations for that excommunication. Many Sri Lankan priests and many more from around the world protested against that excommunication. Within a year of the excommunication the Catholic Church rescinded the excommunication due worldwide protests.

Sri Lanka has produced a world class boxer. However, can it be said that Sri Lanka’s religious leaders of whatever religious persuasion have produced a leader blessed with religious integrity? Is it not true that people of the respective faiths are promoted, not for their religious ideal, but rather their diplomatic skills for self promotion? There have been religious leaders of great integrity and dedication among the Catholics, such for example as the late Bishop Leo Nanayakkara and Fr. Michel Rodrigo. But, such persons were persecuted much like their master, Jesus Christ, rather than being honoured by Rome.

In the Boxing ring, it is not possible to win by the use of hypocrisy. This is only possible in the religious arena and perhaps also in politics.

It is simply not possible to reach the top without it.