Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Dr. Pillainayagam Anton Ranjith as the new bishop of the Diocese of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, the Vatican announced on June 29.
Before his appointment, Bishop Anton Ranjith served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka.
Bishop Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam, the current bishop of Jaffna, will continue to serve as Apostolic Administrator of the diocese until Bishop Anton Ranjith formally takes canonical possession of the see.
Born in Jaffna on September 23, 1966, Bishop Anton Ranjith was ordained to the priesthood on September 16, 2000, at St. Lucia's Cathedral in Colombo. During his priestly ministry, he served as deputy principal of St. Peter's College in Colombo and later as principal of St. Sebastian's College in Moratuwa, south of Colombo, and St. Peter's College in Gampaha, north of the Sri Lankan capital.
Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Colombo on July 13, 2020. Recognized for his experience in theology, education, and Church administration, Bishop Anton Ranjith has made significant contributions to priestly formation, Catholic education, and pastoral service in Sri Lanka.
The Diocese of Jaffna occupies a unique place in the history of Christianity in Sri Lanka. It is regarded as one of the island nation's oldest Christian centers, with evidence indicating that Christian communities existed in the Jaffna Peninsula long before the arrival of the Portuguese. According to local tradition, one of the Magi who came to adore the infant Jesus was Gasper Periya Perumal, a king of Jaffna who later embraced Christianity and lived to an advanced age. Historical records also indicate that Christians were living in the Jaffna Peninsula by 1520, and that 600 faithful were martyred there in 1544.
The ecclesiastical structure of northern Sri Lanka evolved over the following centuries. In 1845, Coadjutor Bishop Orazio Bettacchini was appointed to oversee the Northern Province, and by 1847, separate vicariates had been established in Jaffna and Colombo. When Sri Lanka's vicariates were elevated to dioceses in 1887, three dioceses were created: Colombo, Jaffna, and Kandy. At the time, Jaffna covered the largest territory, which was later divided to establish the dioceses of Trincomalee, Mannar, Anuradhapura, and Batticaloa.
The Diocese of Jaffna has also marked several milestones in the history of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. In 1950, Bishop Emilianuspillai became the first Tamil bishop in the country's episcopal history.
Today, the vibrant faith of the Tamil Catholic community remains an integral part of Sri Lanka's Christian heritage. As northern Sri Lanka continues to grapple with the lasting effects of the country's three-decade civil war, the bishop of Jaffna assumes a significant pastoral responsibility in accompanying communities that continue to heal from the conflict.
