How did Catholicism come to Sri Lanka?
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How did Catholicism come to Sri Lanka?
Roman Catholicism was introduced by the Portuguese in 1505. There were conversions by Dutch persons in the 17th century, which resulted in a percentage of church members in excess of 10\%. The Christian population of Sri Lanka includes members of both the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups.
How many Catholics are there in Sri Lanka?
1.2 million Catholics
The country comes under the province of Colombo and is made up of 12 dioceses including one archdiocese. There are approximately 1.2 million Catholics in Sri Lanka representing around 6.1\% of the total population (according to the 2012 census)….Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Central | 62,476 |
| Eastern | 46,792 |
| Religions | |
| Catholicism |
Who is the head of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka?
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith
The current archbishop of Colombo, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 16 June 2009, is Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
What is the oldest Catholic church in Sri Lanka?
St. Thomas’ Church, Colombo
| St. Thomas’ Church | |
|---|---|
| Consecrated | 16 July 1816 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Groundbreaking | 1815 |
Who are Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian Tamil?
Sri Lankan Tamils (also called Ceylon Tamils) are descendants of the Tamils of the old Jaffna Kingdom and east coast chieftaincies called Vannimais. The Indian Tamils (or Hill Country Tamils) are descendants of bonded labourers sent from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in the 19th century to work on tea plantations.
Who introduced Christianity to Sri Lanka?
Portuguese
Thomas and early Christianity, the definitive date for the arrival of Christianity in Sri Lanka is 1505, when Portuguese merchants (under Francisco de Almeida) landed upon the island.
Who are called Indian Tamils?
The ‘Indian Tamils’, also called Estate Tamils or Upcountry Tamils, are the descendants of the indentured workers brought by the British to Ceylon from the erstwhile Madras Presidency (present day state of Tamil Nadu) between 1820s and 1930s to work on the central hill plantations of tea, coffee and rubber, frequently …
What religion are the Tamils in Sri Lanka?
The Sri Lankan Tamils are mostly Hindus with a significant Christian population. Sri Lankan Tamil literature on topics including religion and the sciences flourished during the medieval period in the court of the Jaffna Kingdom.