Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has said that the Sri Lankan leaders should not be afraid of investigations if they are honest and not involved in the 2019 Easter attacks.
Newsroom (23/08/2022 1:00 PM Gaudium Press) Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said this while addressing the solemn healing service and blessing of the sick at Tewatta Basilica in Ragama on August 21, attended by thousands of pilgrims, including bishops, priests, nuns and lay people.
Catholic faithful attend Holy Masses, silent prayers and community prayer services throughout the day at the basilica in Ragama, some 20 kilometres north of Colombo.
Many faithful had brought photos of their families. Cardinal Ranjith, bishops and priests blessed and offered special prayers to heal the sick and also prayed for the victims of the Easter attacks.
Cardinal Ranjith said it is clear from the recent unfortunate events in the country that selfishness and sin have reigned for 75 years.
“We want to bring a system change and everyone must change their lives,” he said.
Cardinal Ranjith said that rulers who came promising to make Sri Lanka the miracle of Asia left only a giant tower in the end. The cardinal added that more than a quarter of the country’s people are struggling to get one meal per day.
Janet W. Fernando, who attended the service, said the priests, nuns and lay people prayed to God in one voice to reveal the truth and ensure justice for the victims of the Easter attacks.
Protests were held at Baldi junction in Katuwapitiya, Negombo, while people organized a silent protest in front of the police headquarters in Colombo.
The Center for Society and Religion (CSR), run by the Oblate priests, launched a website giving all information about the Easter Sunday attack on August 20.
A group of suicide bombers affiliated with local Islamist group National Thowheed Jamath attacked three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing at least 269 people, including 37 foreign nationals, and injuring at least 500.
Pope Francis has urged the Sri Lankan government to reveal the truth behind the Easter attacks. He expressed his closeness with the victims’ families on multiple occasions, even extending financial aid for their welfare.
Cardinal Ranjith has urged the UN Human Rights Council to set up a mechanism to probe the Easter attacks.
-Raju Hasmukh
(Via Uca News)
