PEOPLE AROUND THE POPE

Thanks to Shawn Tribe at

for the photo of the Pope's letter, and to Gloria for the picture of the Pope and the archbishop....


The Pope's letter of thanks
to Archbishop Ranjith




Here's a translation of a letter written by Benedict XVI to Archbishop Ranjith earlier this week:

---

To my Venerable Brother
Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don
Archbishop of Colombo

At this time when, with your nomination to be the Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo, your service to Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments has come to an end, I wish to express my sincere thanks for the faithfulness, commitment and competence with which you carried out your role.

As you prepare to start this important new mission in your homeland, may the good that you could accomplish among the beloved people of your land be an encouragement to you.

I gladly accompany you with my fervent prayer hat the Lord may fill your ministry with abundant fruits, even as I entrust you to the special protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and as I impart to you and the entire Archdiocese of Colombo my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican
June 16, 2009

---

A visit to the site of the Archdiocese of Colombo shows a very well-organized site that is so up-to-date it already had a report on Colombo's opening ceremony for the Year of the Priests, as well as the full text of the Pope's Letter to all Priests.

We are informed that the Most Rev. Dr. Malcolm Ranjith will be installed as the ninth Archbishop of Colombo August 5, 2009, at St. Lucia's Cathedral, Kotahena.

There's a good biographical article on Mons. Ranjith that shows he broke a lot of ground in the Curia for Sri Lankan archbishops - first as Adjunct Secretary to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 2001, and concurrently international president of the Pontifical Mission Societies; then as Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia in 2004.

Benedict XVI recalled him to the Curia as #2 man in the Congregation for Divine Worship in December 2005.