At least 279 people and 393 people were injured on April 21 Easter Sunday attack last year.

Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church said Sunday it had forgiven the suicide bombers behind the attacks that killed at least 279 people last Easter.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told an Easter mass -- broadcast from a TV studio because of the coronavirus pandemic -- that "we offered love to the enemies who tried to destroy us".

"We forgave them," he said, adding that instead of retaliating, the nation's Catholic minority had contemplated Jesus' message of hope, and reduced tensions.

CCTV footage shows Sri Lanka bombing suspect

CCTV footage shows a man carrying a rucksack walking and entering St Sebastian's Church in Negombo on Easter Sunday. At least 321 people were killed by suicide bomb blasts on that ripped through three hotels and three churches as worshippers atten...

Last year Ranjith called for the government at-the-time to step down over its alleged failure to investigate an "international conspiracy" behind the attacks.

That government, of president Maithripala Sirisena, lost November's elections, with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother Gotabaya taking the reins.

Officials charged with murder

Sirisena initially blamed Islamic extremists for the bombings, but later accused international drug dealers of being behind the attacks -- supposedly to destabilise his anti-narcotics drive.


The country's then-police chief and secretary to the ministry of defence have been charged with murder for allegedly not acting on intelligence about the attacks.

Police have arrested 135 people in connection with the bombings, blamed on the National Thowheeth Jama'ath extremist group.


The April 21 Easter Sunday bombers targeted three churches and three luxury hotels, killing at least 279 people and wounding 593.

Last year Ranjith called for the government at-the-time to step down over its alleged failure to investigate an "international conspiracy" behind the attacks.

That government, of president Maithripala Sirisena, lost November's elections, with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother Gotabaya taking the reins.

Officials charged with murder

Sirisena initially blamed Islamic extremists for the bombings, but later accused international drug dealers of being behind the attacks -- supposedly to destabilise his anti-narcotics drive.


The country's then-police chief and secretary to the ministry of defence have been charged with murder for allegedly not acting on intelligence about the attacks.

Police have arrested 135 people in connection with the bombings, blamed on the National Thowheeth Jama'ath extremist group.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/easter-2020-sri-lanka-church-forgives-2019-suicide-bombers-who-killed-279-people-2210393

God have mercy. Please, watch where you go to today...especially those people in the northern part of Nigeria

Touching
very touching

true Christianity is practised best by those in regions where Christians are being persecuted

Vengeance is of the Lord

Forgive one another even as I forgave you.

Jesus Christ is the perfect role model
Such a gracious God!
He never condemns!

John 8:7
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.


They have done well by following his example.

This is deep

StarOnEarth:
This is deep

Very deep...although he is forgiven, he will still be punished on the other side of life.

This is what many Muslims are taught to do,do Jihad,their Muhammad did nt teach them forgiveness or giving or showing love,their mates dey give now during,no mosques ever gave anything