Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo has called on Catholics across Sri Lanka to hold a special Rosary prayer on September 8, asking God to reveal the truth surrounding the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed 273 people.
The cardinal made the appeal August 30 during the 86th annual Blessing of the Sick at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lanka in Tewatte, Ragama, one of Sri Lanka’s major Catholic pilgrimage centers. Thousands of devotees from across the island attended the annual celebration.
Cardinal Ranjith urged Catholics to pray the Rosary in every church on September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as legal proceedings related to the Easter attacks continue.
“Investigations into the Easter attacks are currently underway, opening a new chapter with fresh evidence being presented,” the cardinal said, noting that some people were also attempting to create obstacles through public statements.
“At this moment, we must turn to God,” he said, asking Catholics to pray for the truth surrounding the deaths of the victims to be revealed. He also encouraged parishes to include special prayers for the intention during Sunday Masses and other liturgical celebrations.
The appeal comes as one of the ongoing court cases connected with the Easter Sunday bombings is expected to reach a verdict later in September. The attacks on April 21, 2019, targeted churches and hotels in several locations across Sri Lanka and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people.
The evening service of the annual feast was presided over by Bishop Maxwell Silva, auxiliary bishop of Colombo, while Cardinal Ranjith celebrated the main Mass at 1:30 p.m. on August 30.
In his homily, the cardinal also addressed environmental degradation and its consequences for human life. He referred to the recent collapse of a glacier in Nepal and the resulting flooding, saying such disasters should prompt greater attention to humanity’s responsibility toward creation.
“We recently saw how a glacier in Nepal suddenly collapsed, causing massive flooding that claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed property worth billions,” he said.
Cardinal Ranjith argued that human activity and environmental destruction can contribute to the severity of such disasters and criticized political leaders for failing to respond adequately to environmental concerns.
He also referred to the destruction caused by the X-Press Pearl container ship disaster off Sri Lanka’s coast in 2021. The vessel caught fire and sank in Sri Lankan waters, causing extensive marine pollution. Cardinal Ranjith said legal action had been taken seeking compensation and criticized the lack of further political action following a court ruling.
The cardinal urged political and other leaders to recognize their responsibility to protect creation and work toward healing a damaged world.
The two concerns raised in the homily, seeking truth and accountability over the Easter attacks and protecting creation, were presented within the wider Christian call to prayer, responsibility and care for human life.
Sri Lanka, an island nation in South Asia with a Christian minority, has continued to face the social and political consequences of the 2019 attacks, which targeted Catholic churches and Christian worshippers as well as other civilians
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