Sri Lankan Church seeks sainthood for bombing victims

Apr 26, 2024

COLOMBO: In a solemn announcement ahead of the fifth anniversary of the tragic Easter Sunday bombings, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo disclosed ongoing efforts by the Sri Lankan Church to initiate the canonisation process for the victims of the 2019 attacks.

The Church is currently gathering signatures nationwide to petition the Vatican for permission to start a diocesan inquiry, a prerequisite step in the path to sainthood that can only commence five years posthumously.

The coordinated suicide bombings on April 21, 2019, targeted three Christian churches and three luxury hotels, resulting in the death of nearly 270 individuals, including 45 children, and injuring over 500 others. The attacks spanned across different regions, affecting the Church of St Anthony in Kochchikade and Church of St Sebastian in Katuwapitiya — both under the jurisdiction of the Colombo archdiocese—as well as an Evangelical church in Eastern province’s Batticaloa.

Cardinal Ranjith, the highest-ranking church official in Sri Lanka, expressed his intent to honour the deceased as “heroes of faith,” a recognition he hopes will resonate internationally, emphasising their innocence and the sanctity of their final moments spent in worship.

Criticism towards the government’s handling of the investigation into the bombings has been vocal, with Cardinal Ranjith and others expressing frustration over the slow progress and calling for international intervention. The aftermath of the attacks saw political shifts within the country, including the election of then-opposition leader Gotabaya Rajapaksa as president in 2020. Suspicions of political manipulation and inadequate security measures have fuelled ongoing demands for a thorough and unbiased inquiry. -- ucanews.com