Cardinal calls for further investigation into damage caused by the X-Press Pearl

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Published: 2026-08-13 16:03:58 | Added: 2026-08-13 16:08:06 | 16 views

Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said today (13 August) that the Government should continue to investigate the damage caused to Sri Lanka’s territorial waters by the X-Press Pearl vessel.

The Cardinal made these remarks during a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat between the Catholic Church and the Government, co-chaired by Minister of Science and Technology Professor Krishantha Abeysena and Presidential Secretary Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The meeting also focused on administrative issues affecting Catholic schools that were taken over by the Government, establishing a system for the recruitment of teachers for Catholic religious education, and reviewing the current progress regarding the recruitment of Catholic nuns and priests to the teaching profession.

Discussions were also held on mechanisms for obtaining support from the Ministry of Education for the activities of Government-controlled Catholic schools.

Speaking at the meeting, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith expressed his gratitude, on behalf of the Catholic Church, to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Government for agreeing to hold discussions with the Catholic Church three times a year.

The Cardinal further emphasised that his objective is to ensure that all students, without discrimination, have the opportunity to learn about their own religion, and stressed the need to resolve the issues currently affecting the education sector.

Members of the Catholic Church, including Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, Rev. Wimal Siri Jayasuriya and Bishop Maxwell Silva, along with other Catholic clergy, also attended the meeting.

Other participants included Prime Minister’s Secretary Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, and Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Education (School Affairs) W. A. Neelika Perera, among others.