25 Facts About Malcolm Ranjith

Patabendige Don Albert Malcolm Ranjith is a Sri Lankan Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Colombo since 2009.

Patabendige Don Albert Malcolm Ranjith was born on 15 November 1947 in Polgahawela, in what was then British Ceylon, to Patabendige Don William and Hettiarachchige Mary Winifred Perera.

Malcolm Ranjith attributed his first interest in becoming a priest to the example set by a French missionary priest assigned to his parish.

Malcolm Ranjith studied in Rome, earning a degree in theology from the Pontifical Urban College and a licentiate from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in 1978, followed by postdoctoral work at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

On 29 June 1975, Malcolm Ranjith was ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI in St Peter's Square.

Malcolm Ranjith received his episcopal consecration on 31 August 1991 from Nicholas Fernando, Archbishop of Colombo.

In 1994, Malcolm Ranjith led a commission that denounced the theological work of Sri Lankan theologian Tissa Balasuriya.

Malcolm Ranjith charged that Balasuriya had questioned original sin and the divinity of Christ, as well as supported women's ordination.

Malcolm Ranjith was supported in this position by Cardinal Ratzinger.

Malcolm Ranjith was responsible for coordinating the visit of Pope John Paul to Sri Lanka in January 1995.

Malcolm Ranjith was named head of the Pontifical Mission Societies.

Malcolm Ranjith was appointed titular archbishop of Umbriatico and the Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia and to East Timor on 29 April 2004.

Malcolm Ranjith's appointment was unusual in that, unlike almost all nuncios, he was not a graduate of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.

Malcolm Ranjith was the first Sri Lankan to be appointed an apostolic nuncio.

Malcolm Ranjith was appointed secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on 10 December 2005.

Malcolm Ranjith held that receiving communion in the hand was an "illegitimate" practice never envisioned by the Second Vatican Council.

Malcolm Ranjith criticized bishops who did not promptly make provision for the celebration of Mass in Latin when Pope Benedict authorized it in 2006, calling it "rebellion against the pope".

Malcolm Ranjith is fluent in ten languages: Italian, French, German, Hebrew, Greek, Spanish, Latin, English, Sinhala and Tamil.

Malcolm Ranjith was among 34 metropolitan archbishops to receive his pallium from Pope Benedict on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on 29 June 2009.

On 7 October 2009, Malcolm Ranjith issued liturgical guidelines for his diocese.

Malcolm Ranjith was given the rank of cardinal priest and assigned the titular church of San Lorenzo in Lucina.

Malcolm Ranjith participated as a cardinal-elector in the 2013 conclave which elected Pope Francis.

Malcolm Ranjith is a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Malcolm Ranjith has been considered to be papabile by observers, meaning that he is thought of as a potential next Pope.

In July 2024, Malcolm Ranjith voiced his opposition to the introduction of two bills aimed at supporting same-sex marriages in Sri Lanka.