Attacks in Sri Lanka. The Christian community, under close surveillance, mourns its dead

The public offices were canceled this Sunday but a vigil was however organized. Coordinated attacks on churches and luxury hotels on Sunday April 21 claimed the lives of 253 people.

The churches of Sri Lanka remained closed this Sunday, April 28, the Christians mourning in private the victims of the bloody attacks of Easter , qualified as an “insult” made to humanity by the Catholic Archbishop of Colombo.

Bishop Malcolm Ranjith celebrated a private mass broadcast live on television after all public services were canceled for fear of a repeat of the coordinated attacks on churches and luxury hotels that claimed the lives of 253 people a week ago .

A vigil was however organized Sunday under close surveillance in front of the Saint-Antoine church, in the capital, at 8:45 a.m., the time at which the building had been attacked the previous Sunday.

Suicide bombers blew themselves up in three luxury hotels in Colombo and three crowded churches around Easter Mass, that of St. Anthony and two others located in the towns of Negombo and Batticaloa.

“An immense tragedy, an insult (made) to humanity”

In the mass he celebrated inside a chapel at his home, attended by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Archbishop called for peace and unity in this multi-ethnic nation from South Asia.

“What happened last Sunday is a huge tragedy, an insult (made) to humanity,” said the prelate. He asked the faithful to show kindness to one another as a sign of respect for all the victims of these attacks which also left nearly 500 injured.

“Today, during mass, we pay attention to the tragedy that happened last Sunday and we try to understand. We pray that those who lost their lives that day will live eternal life through the Lord and that the injured will heal soon. “

Likewise, we pray for peace and coexistence, mutual understanding without divisions, ” he added, as dozens of soldiers were deployed in the streets, in front of mosques and churches.

Aishwarya Yogeshwar

Aishwarya Yogeshwar is the visionary founder of CGI Jaffna, a pioneering organization dedicated to fostering innovation and community growth in the Jaffna region. With a deep passion for news publishing, Aishwarya combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a keen interest in delivering impactful and engaging stories. Her commitment to creating a platform for reliable news and meaningful discourse reflects her dedication to empowering communities through knowledge and information. Aishwarya’s leadership and innovative approach make her a driving force in the world of media and communication.

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