Sri Lanka: Catholics attend first Sunday Mass in capital since bombings | News | DW | 12.05.2019

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Sri Lanka: Catholics attend first Sunday Mass in capital since bombings

Sri Lankan Catholics have attended their first regular Mass in Colombo since bomb attacks by suspected jihadis on Easter Sunday. Catholic schools are expected to reopen next week.

Sri Lankan Catholics pray during a Mass at St. Theresa's Church

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith held mass in Colombo's St. Theresa's Church Sunday after resorting in recent weeks to televised broadcasts from his residence to reach out to his shocked parishioners.

At least 258 people were killed on April 21 when seven suicide bombers targeted two Catholic churches, one Protestant church and three luxury hotels. Authorities blamed local jihadis and church services were temporarily canceled.

Read more: Sri Lanka's tourism sector impacted

Approaching St. Theresa's Sunday, congregation members faced body searches by soldiers wary of explosives. The church's sprawling car park was kept empty as part of high-level security precautions. Thousands reportedly attended mass across Colombo.

A Sri Lankan police officer stands guard at the main entrance of the St. Theresa's church as the Catholic churches hold services again after the Easter attacks in Colombo on May 12, 2019

Armed police guarded the St. Theresa's church during the ceremony

On Saturday, Cardinal Ranjith had celebrated a special Mass in Colombo's St. Lucia Cathedral, attended by survivors and relatives of victims.

Outside Colombo, churches resumed services last week, but were guarded by local police.

Catholic-run schools to reopen

Church officials said next Tuesday could see the reopening of church-run schools if they were satisfied with security measures.

State-run schools — put at more than 10,000 across Sri Lanka — resumed class last week, also under police guard and with parking restrictions, but pupil attendances have reportedly been low.

A Sri Lankan Muslim priest talks to Sri Lankan Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith during a function to express solidarity with all the victims of Easter Sunday attacks, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 28, 2019.

Cardinal Ranjith at a solidarity event for victims on April 28

Last week, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena told the Associated Press that it was safe for tourists to return to the Indian Ocean island nation, which over the past decade has been emerging from a Tamil separatist war.

Sri Lankan authorities claim to have killed or arrested those responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings after blaming two previously little-known jihadist groups, National Towheed Jamaat (NTJ) and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim, led by preacher Zahran Hashim.

Reuters on Sunday reported the arrest of a Saudi-educated scholar, Mohamed Aliyar, in Hashim's hometown of Kattankudy on Sri Lanka's eastern coast.

Sirisena said those arrested accounted for "99%" of suspects.

ipj/amp (AP, AFP, Reuters)

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