Six years after the devastating Easter Sunday bombings shattered the peace of Sri Lanka’s churches and hotels, the Vatican has taken a significant step to honour the victims. In a ceremony laden with emotion and interfaith solidarity, 167 Catholics killed in the 2019 attacks have been formally recognised as “witnesses of faith” by the Holy See.
The announcement came during a memorial vigil at St Anthony’s Church in Colombo on Monday, April 21. Hundreds gathered at the site - itself targeted in the coordinated suicide bombings - to commemorate those lost in one of Sri Lanka’s deadliest terrorist incidents.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, revealed that Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, had entered the names of the Catholic victims into “the catalogue of the witnesses of the faith in its order book, considering the context of their heroism.”
“They were chosen due to violent opposition to their faith motivated by ‘odium fidei,’ the hate of the faith,” Cardinal Ranjith told those assembled. He also acknowledged that seven victims of other faiths were “respectfully remembered” during the ceremony.
The designation follows Pope Francis’s 2023 establishment of a new category of recognition for Catholics who died while professing their faith. This Vatican commission, operating through the saint-making office, documents such cases with the intention of highlighting them alongside officially recognised martyrs who may eventually be considered for beatification or sainthood.
The Easter Sunday attacks on 21 April 2019, involved near-simultaneous suicide bombings at three churches - St Anthony’s in Colombo, St Sebastian’s in Negombo, and the Protestant Zion Church in Batticaloa - as well as three luxury hotels in the capital. The coordinated attacks claimed more than 260 lives, including 42 foreign nationals.
Authorities have attributed the bombings to National Thowheed Jamath, a local extremist group that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Despite filing approximately 23,000 charges against dozens of suspects allegedly involved in weapons training and indoctrination, Sri Lankan authorities have yet to secure any convictions. Legal experts suggest the proceedings could continue for years due to the sheer volume of charges.
The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka continues to press for deeper investigation into the attacks, particularly following explosive claims made in a Channel 4 documentary. The British broadcaster interviewed an individual who alleged he had arranged a meeting between National Thowheed Jamath and a senior state intelligence official to orchestrate a plot aimed at creating insecurity in Sri Lanka.
According to these allegations, the resulting chaos was intended to benefit then-presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who subsequently won the election held in the aftermath of the bombings. The Church has accused the government of that period of deliberately impeding investigations “to protect the brains behind the attacks.”
The vigil at St Anthony’s Church was notable not only for the Vatican’s recognition but also for its demonstration of religious unity. Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic religious figures attended the commemoration, presenting a united front against the sectarian violence that had targeted worshippers during one of Christianity’s holiest celebrations.
The Vatican’s recognition comes as investigations into the attacks continue, with no convictions secured to date. Officials report that proceedings may take years to complete due to the extensive number of charges filed against the suspects.
