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Cardinal meets Bachelet for Easter attacks justice

03 Mar 2022

 
  • Travelled to Geneva for meeting with UN Rights Chief
  • Revealing truth behind attacks and bringing justice to victims discussed
  • Archbishop had earlier requested Pope to mediate
  BY Pamodi Waravita Colombo Archbishop His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who is currently in Geneva, Switzerland, had met UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, and discussed about revealing the truth behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks and bringing justice to the victims, the Catholic church said yesterday (2). The Archbishop, who met with Catholic Church Head His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican on 28 February, met Bachelet in Geneva, official sources at the Catholic church told The Morning yesterday. The duo had talked for around 45 minutes and had discussed about revealing the truth behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks and bringing justice to the victims. “As we have informed earlier, we have tried all possible options to reveal the truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks and failing that, we have gone to the international community to request help from them to reveal the truth. Therefore, as a first step, the Archbishop met with the Pope and told him all about the attacks. He requested him to mediate in order to get the truth revealed. As a second step, the Archbishop met Bachelet and held discussions on revealing the truth behind the 2019 terror attacks and bringing justice to the victims,” Colombo Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop Rev. J.D. Anthony said in a statement issued in this regard yesterday. The 49th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council is currently ongoing, with a report on Sri Lanka due tomorrow (4). In her written update about Sri Lanka last month, Bachelet has urged the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to publish the findings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in order to “ensure transparency for the victims and to pursue further independent investigations into the involvement of any other state or non-state actors”. When the Archbishop met the Pope, the discussions were focused on the Sri Lankan Catholic people’s struggle for justice, following the Easter Sunday terror attacks. “We have exhausted all options within Sri Lanka to find justice. Now, we are discussing all avenues through which we can find justice internationally. Our last remaining solution was to seek assistance from the international community. This is not because we do not love our country. The Archbishop is meeting the Pope after two years and he is especially focusing on informing him that we need help from the international community to seek justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks,” National Catholic Social Communication Centre Director Rev. Cyril Gamini Fernando said at a press conference held on 28 February. Archbishop Ranjith said last month that they were currently exploring the possibility of reaching out to the international community, including the UN, to seek justice for the said terror attacks. In an online meeting held recently, the Archbishop pointed out that they, as the Catholic church, have links all over the world, and that they would also try to influence some pertinent and powerful countries that are in contact with the church. In addition, he said that in case they would be reaching out to the international community, such efforts would also be supported by his fellow cardinals around the world. 


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