Sri Lankans, especially Catholics on a spiritual march for Justice for Easter Victims

Regardless of ethnicity and religion, thousands of Sri Lankans, especially Catholics held a spiritual walk and a commemoration in the capital of the Colombo Archdiocese and other Dioceses in the morning Today, 21of April,  demanding justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed nearly 272 people and wounded over 500 people.

The protesters demanded the Sri Lanka government uncover who they said were the real conspirators behind the attacks on three churches — two Catholic in the Archdiocese and one Protestant in Eastern Batticaloa—Zion Church that included simultaneous suicide bombings during Easter celebrations on April 21, 2019.

Also, the blast targeted three leading tourist hotels in Colombo – Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury and Shangri-La hotels in Colombo and a guest house in Dehiwala,  killing 42 foreigners from 14 countries and some other Sri Lankans who were spending the Easter vacation.

Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency immediately after the bombings and the probes launched into the incident led to the arrest of many who have had links to the suicide bombers.

The Sri Lankan Catholic Church led by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the families of the victims has continuously raised concerns and doubts about the slow progress of the investigations into the attacks, accusing the government of sweeping the truth under the rug for political gains.

Several programs were organized by the Colombo Archdiocese to commemorate the brutal attacks on innocents and at the request of  Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, thousands of people including Catholic clergy in the morning Today, 21st April, lined up for a silent protest on both sides of the main road connecting the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo to St. Sebastian’s Shrine in Katuwapitiya.

They hold placards written in three languages blaming the government for not taking adequate measures to deliver justice for the victims of the bombings and punishing those responsible.

“After 4 years of Easter Sunday Attacks: Is Appropriate Action for the Easter Sunday Attack, Taken?” , ” DIRTY POLITICS MUST END”, “Protect the INDEPENDENCE of the law”, “No justice delivered to victims so far” and “Where is the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attack?”  they displayed placards and banners that read a few slogans on placards.

From the time 8.30 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. people dressed in white and black held one another’s hands, forming a JANA PAURA – human chain in their own towns stood with solidarity with victims and demanded the Sri Lanka government that ” We are Watching until Justice is Meted Out”. This was the theme of the Human Chain.

To mark the four-year anniversary of the Easter attack, a special mass was held at Katuwapitiya church last evening  at 6.00 pm, followed by a Yadum Pa-gamana – Prayer walk from Katuwapitiya church to Kochichikade church. The walk was organized demanding justice for the victims of the attack.

Catholic fathers, nuns, members of the victims and families of the Easter attack, and Youth of the Colombo Archdiocese joined the Prayer Walk.

Marking the time of the attack, at exactly 8.45 am Kochchikade Church and Katuwapitiya Church, the bells were rung and two minutes of silence were observed to remember all the victims. Parallel to this time, the silence was also maintained by the Human Chain.

We see a form that is ready to subdue us, the victims, without doing justice to this filth-digested political power greed.

But we organized this Human Chain to show that our people are more powerful than their politics.” told Father Jude Chrishantha, Director of Mass Media of the Colombo Diocese, to the media at the Kochchikade Shrine.

“We request the government to listen and be sensitive to the message of the silent heart of the victims. And I see that the people are not only asking for justice for the Easter attack in this Human Chain, but they are also calling for remedies for our country which is dying because of this disgraceful politics.” Father Jude Chrishantha added.

The main program to commemorate the terror attacks, which was attended by Apostolic Nunciature to Sri Lanka, Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, interfaith leaders, and the victims and their family members, was held at the Kochchikade Church this morning.

During the program, Interreligious leader’s speeches,  lighting up candles in front of the placq, and donated essential medical equipment to the National Cancer Institute (Apeksha Hospital) in Maharagama were held.

And Cardinal Ranjith was speaking at the occasion said that ” we need a fresh and transparent probe which is directed towards finding out as to why the repeated prior warnings on the Easter Sunday attacks were not taken seriously, to determine as to why the suicide bomber who blew himself up at Dehiwela was allowed to do so, why he was not arrested, to determine who was ‘zonic zonic’ who called ISIS in Indonesia and requested them to claim responsibility for the Easter Sunday attack. We need a fresh probe to find out answers to these questions.”

” It looks that justice can not be expected from the incumbent President  and the government.” Cardinal Ranjith added.

The Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Brian Udaigwe said Sri Lanka had the full blessings of Pope Francis in its efforts to mete out justice for those who were affected by the attacks. “Justice cannot be meted out through anger,” he said while coating former president of the USA Barack Obama.

And he said the Catholic Church doesn’t believe in insulting Buddhist monks and other members of the clergy and will not associate with people who insult them yet.

Today, during morning hours many commemorative programs or Protests were held in the Diocese of Kandy, Galle, Kurunegala, and other Diocese to commemorate the Easter victims. In the evening, a memorial service will be held at the Katuwapitiya church and after that, a candle procession will be held from the church to the main road of Colombo-Negombo. As a political party, Jathika Jana balawegaya National Peoples’ Power also held a large campaign in Negombo today demanding justice for the Easter victims

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