By Norman Palihawadane
Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith says that even though many including the Church authorities were unaware of imminent terror attacks on Easter Sunday 2019, almost 15,000 other persons had prior knowledge of it according to the reports of the Special Presidential Commission.
Addressing Holy Mass celebrating the blessing of marble structures of the 12 apostles gifted by people of Brechia, Italy to St Sebastian Church at Katuwapitiya, Negombo last week, the Cardinal said: “Even though we were uninformed of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, almost 15,000 persons were said to have knowledge of it according to the report of the Special Presidential Commission. We also have serious doubts about the statement made by the Minister of Public Security who avers that almost 99 percent of the investigations have been completed.”
His Eminence said that the Church recently received information that there had been another group of persons assisting and enabling the perpetrators to carry out the heinous crime.
“We are not prepared to sit down and have discussions with incumbent leaders who are unable to maintain law and order in the country and who cannot take necessary actions as recommended by the Special Presidential Commission on the Easter Sunday terror attacks and also the leaders who do not respect the decisions of Supreme Court,” Cardinal Ranjith said.
Monsignor Neville Joe Perera, Rev Fr Ciswan de Croos, Episcopal Vicar of the Negombo region, Rev Fr Manjula Niroshan, Parish Priest of Katuwapaitiya were also present.
