Sri Lanka’s Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith spearheading Pope Leo XIV and Vatican’s stand against LGBTQIA+ Ideology
The past 2 decades has seen a surge in the ideological promotion of LGBTQIA++ globally in schools, across media and even entering public policy. The cost of the damage to individuals & society is undeniable but kept hidden. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has emerged courageously advocating for the protection of children and appealing to all to join the effort. With the passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV who has pledged to restore traditional values and defend the family, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has emerged as a leading global voice against the dangers of LGBTQIA ideology, particularly its impact on children, families and the institution of marriage. His leadership from Sri Lanka is not just noteworthy—it is a message to Sri Lanka & the rest of the world.
The Damage to Children
Research increasingly highlights the psychological and medical risks children face when exposed to early affirmation of transgender identities. Studies indicate elevated rates of depression, anxiety, social isolation, and post-transition regret among minors undergoing hormone treatments or surgeries.
Research increasingly show that exposure to LGBTQIA+ ideology and early gender-transition interventions can have serious negative effects on children:
- Mental Health Risks:Children exposed to early ideological promotion report higher rates of depression, anxiety, confusion about identity, and social isolation but most of all regret that lasts a lifetime & hating their bodies which they cannot reverse.
- Medical Dangers:Hormone treatments and surgeries on minors carry long-term, irreversible consequences, including sterility, physical complications, and lifelong dependence on medication. Studies and medical reviews have documented cases of regret and psychological distress following these interventions.
- Developmental Confusion:Schools and media promoting LGBTQIA+ ideology can distort children’s understanding of their natural biological development, creating a fantasy scenario, pressuring them into decisions they are not emotionally or cognitively prepared to make. In later years they not only regret but hold lifelong grudges against those that fooled them.
- Societal and Family Impact:Early exposure often undermines family guidance, confuses peer relationships, distances & isolates the children away from the love, caring and guidance, and can lead to social alienation and prone to be victims of all sorts of irreversible vices.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has emphasized that children must be protected from these ideological pressures and medically risky interventions until they are mature enough to make fully informed decisions.
Global Reversal and Societal Backlash
A notable trend is the growing global re-assessment of aggressive LGBTQIA+ promotion, particularly policies affecting children.
Corporations are now withdrawing from Pride sponsorships and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs due to financial, public, and societal pressures.
In 2025, the share of major corporations planning to pull back from Pride Month sponsorships jumped to 39%, up from previous years. The trend is likely to increase.
Politically, former U.S. President Donald Trump enacted policies removing transgender recruitment to military service and stopped transgender men entering women’s sports, while firmly stating that appointments to jobs should be on merit and not by quotas allocated to politicized minority groups, while other countries in Europe and Asia are reconsidering early-transition guidance for minors and have stopped many medical interventions.
For instance, the United Kingdom banned puberty blockers for children and adolescents under age 18 in December 2024, citing insufficient evidence on their benefits for gender-questioning youth and potential long-term effects.
Across many Western nations, there is now a growing reversal in approach: instead of rushing into irreversible surgeries or prescribing lifelong transition drugs, increasing emphasis is being placed on psychological support and mental health care.
This shift effectively returns to the earlier recognition that LGBTQIA-identifying individuals often face deep psychological struggles — once classified as mental illness — that require compassion, counseling, and treatment rather than experimental medicalization leading to irreversible psychological, physical and social damage.
Metrics from various sources indicate a significant decline in public and institutional support for these initiatives, suggesting a global reevaluation of the risks posed to children. These evolving reversals prove the stand taken by those who have been trying to warn the general public especially the policy makers of the harm promoting this ideology is doing to society especially children.
In Sri Lanka’s case, it is baffling how some policy makers & media for profit are trying to introduce what has failed overseas even after being aware of its damage.
The Cardinal’s Stand
Cardinal Ranjith’s recent statements reaffirm his unwavering stand in defense of children, the family, and the sanctity of marriage.
He stated: “a program is being implemented secretly to lead the country towards the destruction of the institution of marriage”, he went on to claim that “I have learned that some political parties & political leaders are giving their blessings for such programmes” and he warned that this “would become a big problem for the Nation”.
While making clear that those with natural transgender struggles must be given with empathy, the Cardinal firmly warned that orchestrated ideological interventions targeting children would ‘cast the country into darkness.
Cardinal Ranjith’s leadership is proactive, evidence-based, and unwavering, placing moral responsibility for children’s development at the forefront.
His words echo the Vatican’s new direction under Pope Leo XIV, placing child protection and family sanctity at the center.
Moral and Cultural Leadership
Sri Lanka, through Cardinal Ranjith, is asserting a global moral voice.
His stance reinforces the importance of family structures, societal stability, and culturally grounded guidance. By emphasizing duties over transient rights, this framework supports children’s natural development while safeguarding communities from untested and potentially harmful social experiments. As the Cardinal rightly said lifestyles cannot be a fundamental right.
When governments across Europe and Asia are rolling back risky gender policies, Sri Lanka under Cardinal Ranjith is not merely following the trend but helping shape it, projecting a global moral compass from the Global South
Call to Awareness
Global media, policymakers, educators, and religious leaders must recognize and amplify Cardinal Ranjith’s message. Protecting children, prioritizing evidence over ideology, and reaffirming family-centered moral guidance and values are becoming increasingly essential in an era of rapid societal change,
With 2.4billion children – the question is do we lead them to a path of values & good morals or indoctrination & LGBGTQIA ideology & irreversible damage?
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith’s leadership is more than a national statement—it is a global clarion call.
As the world reassesses policies and ideologies that affect children, his voice exemplifies courage, foresight, and a moral compass that may well guide the international community toward safer, more evidence-based decisions for the next generation.
As Pope Leo XIV consolidates the Vatican’s defense of children and families, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith’s leadership from Sri Lanka signals a new global era where evidence, morality, and courage converge to protect the most vulnerable.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has urged all religious leaders to unite in defending the child, the family, and moral values against the spread of LGBTQIA ideology. With the new Pope steering the Church back to tradition, Cardinal Ranjith’s voice now carries global weight as a beacon of moral clarity in a confused world.
Shenali D Waduge
