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Metropolitan see Colombo, Sri Lanka

Archdiocese of Colombo

Columben(sis) in Taprobane

Latin Church

Latin metropolitan archdiocese of Sri Lanka, erected as the Diocese of Ceylon in 1834, renamed Diocese of Colombo in 1845 and elevated to a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Leo XIII on 1 September 1886. Its cathedral is St. Lucia's Cathedral in Kotahena, Colombo, and it has eleven suffragan dioceses; Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith remains archbishop (verified in office 2026).

On the map

Esri
The address the register holds for St. Lucia's Cathedral, Colombo, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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Established
1845
Catholics
637,729
Priests
552
Territory
3,838 km²

Parishes and churches

151 listed churches in our records. Open a parish for Mass times, confession, directions and sources where recorded.

This is our recorded coverage, not an official diocesan parish count. Confirm service times with the parish before travelling.

The bishop

Archbishop
His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith

Explore the ministry of the bishop.

The cathedral

St. Lucia's Cathedral, Colombo stands in Colombo, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

History

As a Latin Catholic metropolitan see (Latin: Archidioecesis Columbensis in Taprobane), Colombo heads an ecclesiastical province that takes in all of Sri Lanka together with the Maldives, which fall within the archbishopric itself. The archdiocese depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, whom Pope Benedict XVI appointed on 16 June 2009, is the current archbishop, assisted by auxiliary bishops.

This see in the wire

Stories that name this see

The wire's resolver matched this see in the text of each story.

  • High Court of Sri Lanka sentences 15 to 200-260 years in prison

    The High Court of Sri Lanka sentenced 15 men to prison terms ranging from 200 to 260 years on September 22 for their roles in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The three-judge panel in Colombo also ordered the confiscation of the defendants' assets and property. The convictions follow a trial lasting nearly five years involving more than 23,000 charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism. Among those convicted is Mohamed Naufar, an Islamist preacher identified by prosecutors as a ringleader, who received a 220-year sentence. The sentencing breakdown included one defendant receiving 260 years, four receiving 240 years, five receiving 220 years, and five receiving 200 years. Nine other defendants were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The April 21, 2019, attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels, killing between 267 and 279 people, including 45 foreigners. While the individuals who physically carried out the suicide bombings are deceased, the defendants were charged with planning or inspiring the attacks. Father Jude Chrysantha Fernando, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Colombo, said the verdict moves the country toward truth and justice but noted that the process of healing is ongoing. He stated that the trial addressed the perpetrators and co-organizers, but further investigation is needed to determine if any individuals facilitated the massacre for political advantage.

    Sep 25, 2026 · Church & State · 14 sources

Filed by our own wire from published sources. Read the wire.