Easter Sunday carnage: Attacks carried out by group to ensure political power – Cardinal

Relative of a victim of Easter bombings in Sri Lanka meets Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith

The 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday bombings appears to have been carried out by a certain group to further strengthen their political power, claimed Catholic Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith.

He went on to say that the Easter Sunday attacks were a result of certain groups taking advantage of religious extremism to ensure their political power.

Two monuments erected to commemorate the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings were inaugurated by the Archbishop yesterday (18). These two monuments have been erected at the Borella and Madampitiya Public Cemeteries where the victims of the bombings at St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade and St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya were buried.

Relatives of those killed in the bombing were also present and lit candles in rememberance of the victims. In addition, the Cardinal conducted a special service near the monument at the Borella Public Cemetery.

Meanwhile, special services will be held at St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade and St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya in the next few days. On 21 April 2019, bombings targeting three Catholic churches and three major hotels in Colombo killed at least 260 people and injured more than 500 persons.

(Source: Ceylon Today – By Buddhika Samaraweera and Treshan Fernando)