Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has declared April 19, 2026 as a day of prayer for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, calling on all Catholic churches across Sri Lanka to hold prayer sessions.
The announcement comes ahead of the seventh anniversary of the coordinated attacks on April 21, 2019, which killed over 270 people at churches and luxury hotels in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa. Cardinal Ranjith called on God to reveal the truth behind the attacks, echoing long-standing demands from the Catholic community for full accountability.
Prayer sessions will be held in Catholic churches across the island on April 19. The date, which falls on a Saturday, was chosen to allow maximum participation from congregations ahead of the actual anniversary on Monday, April 21.
The Cardinal’s declaration adds a liturgical dimension to a week already charged with political and legal proceedings related to the attacks. Earlier this month, Kiriella raised questions in Parliament about alleged conspirators behind the bombings, while the seventh anniversary has prompted renewed calls for justice from survivors and victims’ families.
The Easter Sunday attacks remain one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in Sri Lankan history and continue to generate political controversy over unanswered questions about intelligence failures and the masterminds behind the plot.
