July 21, Colombo (LNW): The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has formally distanced itself from a recent statement made by one of its clergy members calling for the death penalty to be imposed on a former senior police officer linked to failures surrounding the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Colombo, addressed the matter publicly, stating that the comment in question—made by Fr. Jude Krishantha during a recent appearance—did not reflect the official stance of either the local Church or the global Catholic community.
“Fr. Jude has since clarified that he was speaking in a personal capacity, not on behalf of the Church. He has expressed regret over the misunderstanding, and we consider the matter resolved,” Fr. Fernando noted.
Fr. Krishantha’s comment had referred to the recently dismissed Deputy Inspector General of Police, Nilantha Jayawardene, whose removal was prompted by a Supreme Court decision and findings issued by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter attacks.
Jayawardene had faced heavy criticism for alleged lapses in intelligence handling prior to the coordinated bombings that left over 250 people dead and hundreds injured.
While reaffirming the Church’s deep concern over the tragedy and its aftermath, Fr. Fernando was clear in reiterating the Church’s doctrinal opposition to capital punishment.
“The Catholic Church stands firmly against the death penalty, both here in Sri Lanka and globally. We believe in justice and accountability, but not through the taking of life,” he said.
He went on to emphasise the importance of fully implementing the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission.
“We hope that all recommendations are acted upon transparently and without delay, and that any further investigations bring clarity and closure to the affected families,” Fr. Fernando stated.
Addressing recent speculation in the media, Fr. Fernando also clarified that the Archbishop of Colombo had not requested the reinstatement of any specific officers, such as former CID Director Shani Abeysekera or former Public Security Secretary Ravi Seneviratne.
“What the Cardinal has called for is the restoration of all police officials who were removed in 2020, without singling out individuals by name,” he added.
