167 Sri Lankan Catholics listed as "witnesses of faith" in the 21st century

The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has included as many as 167 Sri Lankan Catholics as “Witnesses of Faith” of the 21st century.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, announced this during a vigil in honor of those who were killed in Sri Lanka in churches on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019, after he got official communication from the Dicastery, reports Rome-based Fides news agency.

According to Ranjith, the list is compiled and presented to “honor their sacrifice motivated by hatred for the faith.”

They were included because of their violent opposition to their faith, motivated by “odium fidei.” Seven other victims of other faiths were also “remembered with respect,” says Father Jude Fernando, a priest in Colombo.

The special Vatican commission was tasked with compiling and updating the list of witnesses to the faith for the Jubilee Year.

The vigil was organized at the Catholic church of St. Anthony in Colombo, attended by hundreds of people, including Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic religious leaders. One of the locations for the serial bombings was St. Anthony's Church.

The other attacks took place at three tourist hotels and three churches—two Catholic and one Protestant. St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo was the second Catholic church.

In the aftermath of the Easter bombings, the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has been demanding further investigations into the attacks to clarify the alleged involvement of state officials and agencies.

After Anura Kumara Dissanayake became the country’s new president in 2024, his government assured a thorough investigation into the Easter attacks.