A woman pays tribute to victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks at a cemetery in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on April 21, 2022, marking three years since the tragic attacks. / Credit: Ruwan Walpola/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
ThearchbishopofColombo,SriLanka,announcedthisweekthatthe167CatholicskilledintheSriLankaEasterSundaybombingsin2019willbeincludedonthelistof“WitnessesofFaith”establishedbyPopeFrancis.
InspiredbyanapostolicletterbyPopeJohnPaulII,whowantedtoensurethelegacyofthe“unknownsoldiersofGod’sgreatcause”wasnotlost,PopeFranciscreatedtheCommissionoftheNewMartyrs–WitnessesoftheFaithin2023.FrancissoughttoacknowledgeCatholicswhohavelosttheirliveswhileprofessingtheirfaithinthefirstquarterofthe21stcentury.CompiledbytheDicasteryfortheCausesofSaintsinpreparationforthe2025JubileeYear,thelistisanongoingcatalogueofChristianmartyrswho,theHolyFathersaid,“arewitnessesofthehopethatcomesfromfaithinChrist.”
OnApril21,2019,terroristsbombedtwoCatholicchurches,St.Sebastian’sandS
