The Vatican has formally recognized 167 victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka as “heroes of faith,” six years after the coordinated attacks that shook the island nation.
The announcement was made during a memorial event led by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, honoring those who lost their lives while attending Catholic services on one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar.
The suicide bombings, which targeted churches and luxury hotels, killed 269 people and wounded hundreds more. It marked one of the deadliest terror attacks in Sri Lanka since the end of its civil war in 2009. Those named by the Vatican were worshippers attending mass at the time of the blasts.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a local Islamist extremist group. However, investigations into the incident have been marked by delays, legal complexity, and public frustration. Families of victims and members of the Christian community have criticized successive governments for not taking swift action or being transparent about the events leading up to the bombings.
Public anger grew after it emerged that intelligence warnings were issued before the attacks but were ignored by authorities. The Supreme Court later ordered former President Maithripala Sirisena to pay compensation for failing to act on those warnings. A trial launched in 2021 named 25 suspects, but legal experts fear that the volume of charges and witnesses could cause the process to stall indefinitely.
Cardinal Ranjith and other Catholic leaders have long accused the previous government of obstructing investigations and shielding the real masterminds behind the bombings. A documentary aired in 2023 reignited these concerns by alleging links between the attackers and figures in the military and political establishment. It suggested that the tragedy may have been used to influence the outcome of the 2019 presidential election.
That election brought Gotabaya Rajapaksa to power after he campaigned heavily on restoring national security. He denied any wrongdoing or ties to those implicated in the documentary when questioned in parliament.
The situation gained new momentum following the 2024 general elections, which brought a fresh government into office. The new administration has since reopened investigations and handed a presidential commission’s findings to national investigators. The government claims the attacks may have been politically motivated by a group seeking to gain power through fear and chaos.
In a statement marking the anniversary, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya pledged continued efforts to uncover the full truth behind the attacks. She said justice for the victims would remain a national priority and stressed that transparency and accountability are key to restoring public faith in the justice system.