Govt., Church revive stalled dialogue

An official discussion between the Catholic Church and the Government was held at the Presidential Secretariat after a gap of nine years, the Presidential Media Division informed.

The meeting, held on May 21 afternoon, focused extensively on administrative issues in Catholic schools taken over by the State and the development of a new mechanism to obtain support from the Ministry of Education.

Attention was also given to establishing a system for teaching Catholic doctrine, as well as the need to recruit Catholic priests and nuns into the teaching profession.

It was also decided that discussions with the Catholic Church will be held three times a year, and that Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage will serve as its secretary, the statement added.

Colombo Archbishop, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, along with Bishops and several Catholic clergy members, participated in the meeting.

The Colombo Archbishop emphasised the importance of ensuring the right of all students to learn their religion without discrimination, and resolving existing issues in the education sector.