Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith called on all Sri Lankans to preserve Buddhist heritage, while respecting the religious beliefs of others.
He made these remarks yesterday at thecremation ceremony of Ven. Prof. Dr. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Nayake Thera at the Sri Jayewardenepura University grounds.
Cardinal Ranjith said he was talking to Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thera recently about maintaining peace and harmony between religious communities and discussed the need to preserve Sri Lankan heritage.
"We had seen a decline in people professing religious beliefs and he was worried about it. He asked me what needs to be done to secure our heritage. Because in Sri Lanka, neo-liberal views are spreading rapidly, while religious beliefs are considered less important. He was concerned about the increasing secularisation in our society," he said.
The cardinal pointed out that it is important to realise that without religion, moral and ethical principles, a society cannot stand and appealed to the President and authorities to preserve our heritage.
He said our heritage and religious beliefs need to be protected for the betterment of the country.
Cardinal Ranjith said they have requested political leaders and relevant authorities to ban tuition classes on Sundays and Poya days, to allow the children to attend religious schools.
"The request was not about banning tuition classes, but creating a conducive environment for children to engage in religious activities," he said.
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