The Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, has warned that heavy mobile phone use and a spreading consumer culture are wearing down family relationships and human connection in Sri Lankan society.
Speaking at a religious gathering in Seeduwa, the Cardinal said the growth of consumerism that followed the opening of the free market economy had manufactured artificial desires, with the pursuit of money becoming a defining influence on modern life, according to Ada Derana.
That market-driven culture, he said, has pushed people towards possessions they do not need, at the expense of genuine needs and values.
The Cardinal reserved particular criticism for society’s growing dependence on mobile phones, saying devices that were introduced as tools for communication have come to dominate daily life. Long hours spent on phones, including late into the night, have cut into family interaction, he said, leaving parents and children without meaningful communication and weakening traditional values.
He also cautioned that social advancement and higher levels of education should not breed arrogance, urging people to hold on to humility and human values through a period of rapid change.
The remarks continue a theme the Archbishop of Colombo has returned to repeatedly in recent public addresses. Speaking at the 150th jubilee of a church in Makevita on July 19, he said religion now occupies only a minimal place in modern society, pointing to largely empty basilicas across Europe alongside packed football stadiums as a sign of misplaced priorities.
Cardinal Ranjith, who has led the Archdiocese of Colombo since 2009, remains one of the most prominent public voices in the country on social and moral questions.
