Pope expresses deep solidarity with SL communities mourning Easter attack victims.

Pope expresses deep solidarity with SL communities mourning Easter attack victims.

The Vatican released a message to mark the first year remembrance of the Easter attacks, which falls today, stating that Pope Francis has expressed deep solidarity with all communities mourning the deceased.

Sri Lanka today commemorates the one-year anniversary of the coordinated terror attacks that left the country devastated on the 21st of April 2019.

A two-minute silence was observed at 8.45 am in remembrance of the victims of the tragic carnage which killed over 250 including foreigners and injured at least 500 people.

On Easter Sunday last year, in a coordinated move by a local militant group called National Thowheed Jama’ath, bombs were detonated at St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapiriya, Zion Church in Batticaloa, Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury and Shangri-La hotels in Colombo, a guest house in Dehiwala and at a housing complex in Dematagoda.

The Pope Francis ‘s message stated that on the first anniversary of the attacks, Pope Francis was joining the clergy and faithful of Sri Lanka who, together with fellow Christians and members of other religions, solemnly mark the day.

“His Holiness expresses deep solidarity with the communities of Sri Lanka who mourn the deceased, and he implores from the Risen Lord the balm of his compassion and mercy,” the letter stated, adding, “He prays that this tragedy will draw Christians and those of other religions present in Sri Lanka ever closer together, as they seek to build a society of greater tolerance and compassion, of forgiveness and peace.”

The Secretary of State’s message went on to say that it was the Pope’s profound hope that “the hearts of Sri Lankans on this anniversary will overcome hatred with love, injury with pardon, discord with unity, for the common good of their society”.

In his sermon at a Mass celebrated at his residence this year’s Easter Sunday, the Cardinal Malcoim Ranjith said “Some misguided youths attacked us and we as humans could have given a human and selfish response,” adding that But we mediated on Christ’s teachings and loved them, forgave them and had pity on them.”

As Sri Lanka is currently under curfew owing to the local outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, public congregations to commemorate the Easter Sunday attacks have been called off.