April 21, Colombo (LNW): A profound gesture of recognition has come from the Vatican, as 167 Sri Lankan Catholics who perished in the coordinated Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 have been formally honoured as martyrs.
The announcement was made by the Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, during a poignant ceremony held to mark six years since the devastating attacks.
The victims, who died during services at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade and St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, have now been officially inscribed in the Catalogue of the Witnesses of the Faith by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints—a body within the Roman Curia responsible for the canonisation process and recognising those who have died for their beliefs.
The acknowledgment designates the deceased as Heroes of Faith, a deeply meaningful designation within the Catholic tradition that highlights both the brutality of the event and the spiritual endurance of those who were targeted.
This declaration comes as Sri Lanka continues to grapple with the aftermath of one of its darkest days, when multiple suicide bombings on April 21, 2019 claimed the lives of more than 260 people and injured hundreds more across several locations, including churches and luxury hotels.
The attacks, orchestrated by a local Islamist extremist group with alleged international links, sent shockwaves through the nation and provoked a global outcry.
Speaking at the memorial mass held at St. Anthony’s Shrine—one of the two churches directly affected by the blasts—Cardinal Ranjith said the Vatican’s recognition is not only a spiritual tribute but also a call to the wider world to remember the victims not merely as casualties, but as individuals who died upholding their faith in the face of senseless violence.
The Archbishop presided over the solemn service, attended by grieving families, members of the clergy, and a wide cross-section of the public. As prayers were offered and candles lit, there was a prevailing atmosphere of reflection, reverence, and quiet resilience.
Mourners were not only honouring those who died but also renewing their calls for truth, accountability, and justice—demands that have echoed for years amid widespread criticism of investigative delays and political inertia.
Cardinal Ranjith has remained a vocal critic of successive governments for what he describes as an inadequate response to the tragedy and an apparent reluctance to pursue justice for those affected.
On numerous occasions, he has insisted that the true masterminds behind the attacks remain unidentified and that the pursuit of justice has been clouded by political interference and bureaucratic apathy.
The Vatican’s recognition, therefore, carries not only spiritual significance but also a symbolic reminder of the global Church’s solidarity with Sri Lanka’s Christian community.
By acknowledging the victims as martyrs, the Holy See reinforces a narrative of faith enduring in the face of terror—an affirmation many survivors and relatives have clung to amid a continuing struggle for closure.
