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O stay at home, all ye faithful: Advice from Cardinal Malcom Ranjith
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The Cardinal addressing the meida. Pic by Indika Handuwala
“This year, please avoid visiting relatives. Limit Christmas shopping for gifts, and if it is absolutely necessary only one person from each family should go out for shopping. This Christmas, we should focus on religious observances. Do not indulge in external celebrations, with dinners, gala ceremonies and encounters, and limit celebrations to within your homes,” the Catholic Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith advised.
“Christmas should not become the moment in which SL has an explosion of the pandemic. Have a beautiful Christmas tree and crib inside your house and be with your family on Christmas,” Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith reiterated.
The Archbishop said priests have been advised to celebrate Christmas only in the non-lockdown areas and to limit the celebration of Christmas to the number of persons indicated by health authorities, 50 per celebration.
“We request those visiting churches to adhere to health and hygiene measures such as washing of hands, checking temperature, wearing a mask, and maintaining distance,” he said.
Midnight Mass will be conducted hourly, starting from 6pm on December 24. Masses will be held in all Sinhala, Tamil, and English and telecast live. The Christmas morning mass will also be telecast live.
“There will be no representation from Bishop’s House to state-organised festivities, decorations and parties this year. We call upon the government to avoid any kind of festivities, unnecessary decorations, and ceremonies. This year, we should celebrate Christmas by helping the poor and the needy,” the Archbishop of Colombo said.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also asked television channels to avoid broadcasting Christmas Day programmes featuring people wearing revealing attire, saying such sights drew the younger generation away from the true meaning of Christmas.
“We hope at least by next Christmas we can end the dark period as this is the second year we celebrate with sadness and gloom. We hope justice will be delivered, investigations conclude and create an environment such tragedies will not take place,” the Archbishop said.