One of the Vatican’s top officials visited Sri Lanka to show solidarity with Catholics still reeling from the Easter suicide bombings that claimed more than 250 lives and injured more than 400.
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, said that it was time to focus on rebuilding the nation, reported ucanews.com.
The cardinal condemned the 21st April bombings on a handful of luxury hotels and churches in Colombo and Negombo by local extremists affiliated with Daesh.
“What happened on Easter Sunday was not only an act against a few people or a religion, it was an act against the people of Sri Lanka,” he said.
Cardinal Filoni served as the apostolic nuncio of Sri Lanka from 1981 to 1983. He flew to Colombo after a trip to Thailand to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Church’s mission to the country.
While visiting the national shrine of St Anthony in Colombo, he spoke to some of the bereaved family members from the Easter attacks, reported ucanews.com.
Picture: A survivor and others pray outside St Sebastian Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on 21st May 2019, for the souls of those who killed on Easter by bomb attacks. Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, said it was time to focus on rebuilding the nation. (CNS photo/Dinuka Liyanawatte, Reuters).
