Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Archdiocese of Colombo
Colombo (Fides News Agency) – "The current Sri Lankan government, which took office in 2024, has a more positive stance regarding the Easter Sunday massacre of April 2019 and is searching for the truth. However, some officials of the so-called 'deep state' are trying to obstruct the smooth conduct of the investigation," said the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, in a message marking the seventh anniversary of the massacre, in which seven suicide bombers blew themselves up in a church and hotel, killing 278 people.
“Today we ask all the faithful to pray for Sri Lanka. For seven years, we have worked tirelessly for interreligious peace and continue to pursue transparency and truth. There were indications that behind the attacks were not only religious fanatics, but also politicians who wanted to sow chaos and ethnic and religious unrest through violence. That is why we insisted on an independent investigation. Today we reiterate our request for support and prayers. Our people are suffering and need help,” the Cardinal said in a message sent to Fides.
In a commemorative address delivered today at St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, near Colombo, the Cardinal described the entire incident and the steps taken in the investigation. In the packed church, he thanked the Buddhist leaders who “joined us in our constant call for calm, and thus we were able to prevent the outbreak of violence after these bombings.”
Regarding the political and social context underlying the attacks, he remarked: “The rule of law has been increasingly weakened by political interference and has become a slave of selfishness, political bankruptcy, and the rise of lies and crime.” “Since most of the victims were Catholics, and these attacks were carried out in our churches on our holiest day, Easter Sunday, seeking the truth behind these attacks is our fundamental right, both for the victims’ families and for the Church. Finding all those responsible for this murder and destruction is not only a right of the victims, but of all citizens of this country, and it is the government’s duty to deliver justice to us in a fair and transparent manner.” “No one is above the law and should go unpunished if they are guilty of the act,” he recalled.
On October 6, 2024, during a visit to St. Sebastian's Church in Katuwapitiya, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake promised "not to let the truth behind these attacks be lost to the sands of time." Therefore, the Cardinal said, "we urge him to keep this promise by conducting a comprehensive, transparent, and truthful investigation into these murders and courageously bring to light the truth behind this brutal massacre." "Today we draw strength from our faith. Justice belongs to the Lord. The blood shed is that of innocent men, women, and children, and it cries out to heaven for justice. We know that the Lord will answer this prayer. He will grant us justice. Until then, we will continue our struggle," the Archbishop of Colombo concluded. (PA) (Fides News Agency, 21/4/2026)
