October 22, Colombo (LNW): The Catholic Church is set to formally denounce recent allegations against two government officials, as revealed in the Presidential Commission’s report on the Easter Sunday attacks, disclosed by former MP Udaya Gammanpila.
An official statement is expected from the Church today (22), addressing both the report and accusations made against Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
The Archdiocese of Colombo’s Director of Communications, Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, confirmed the Church’s position, stating, “We will release an official statement today, outlining our response to the Presidential Commission’s findings and the claims made by Mr. Gammanpila against Cardinal Ranjith.”
Despite the anticipated statement, the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith had already refuted the accusations during a sermon on Sunday, particularly regarding the allegations involving two state officials.
The Cardinal expressed his dismay, highlighting what he perceived as an attempt to distort the facts.
He criticised the actions of certain individuals who had remained silent but had recently begun discussing the Easter Sunday attacks, turning themselves into “overnight heroes.”
“The committee tasked with reviewing the Presidential Commission’s report deliberately implicated two current government officials to mislead the public,” the Cardinal stated during a sermon at Hapugoda.
He voiced frustration over the manipulation of information, which he believes was intended to distract from uncovering the full truth behind the 2019 attacks.
Cardinal Ranjith remains resolute in his pursuit of justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings, stressing that the Church will continue its efforts to discover who supplied arms to the perpetrators and how they were trained in explosives.
“We will not rest until we find out why prior warnings were ignored, and those responsible for fleeing the country after receiving such warnings will be held accountable as well,” he emphasised.
In his remarks, the Cardinal also noted that the victims of the attacks included individuals from diverse religious backgrounds, including Buddhists and Muslims, further underlining the tragedy’s broader impact on Sri Lankan society.
