“Allow me to express my sincere anguish at this tragedy that has taken the toll on scores of innocent human lives on the very day when we celebrate world over the victory of life and goodness over death and evil.”
Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, expressed this in his message, provided by him to ZENIT, to Cardinal Ranjith, his brother bishops and faithful.
“It is with deep sorrow,” the Cardinal of Myanmar expressed, “that I heard about the multiple bomb blasts in 3 churches and 3 hotels this morning in your nations’s capital Colombo.”
Expressing his “sincere anguish” for the tragedy claiming hundreds of innocent lives on the day we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection over death and evil, the Cardinal said, “I place my humble prayers for all the victims of this senseless violence, I also pray for the care givers and relief agents.”
“We need to plead the mercy seat of the Risen Lord Jesus, the Prince of Hope and Peace, to strengthen all people of good will to help stabilize the situation of fear and suspicion that has arisen following the blasts.”
Cardinal Bo concluded, extending the prayers of Brother Bishops and Faithful of all member countries of the Federation of the Asia Bishops’ Conference.
On Easter Sunday, in his ‘Urbi et Orbi Message’ and in his Regina Coeli address on Monday, Pope Francis condemned the attacks in Sri Lanka that left an estimated 300 dead and hundreds more injured.
On Easter, he said: “I wish to express my heartfelt closeness to the Christian community [of Sri Lanka], wounded as it was gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence.,” the Holy Father said. “I entrust to the Lord all those who have tragically perished and I pray for the injured and all those who suffer as a result of this tragic event.”
According to Vatican News, terrorists set off at least seven explosives on Easter Sunday morning at three churches and four hotels. Two of the churches targeted were Catholic and one was an evangelical church.
The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, said it is “a very, very sad day for all of us.”
“I wish, therefore, to express my deepest sorrow and sympathy to all those innocent families that have lost someone, and also to those who have been injured and rendered destitute. I condemn – to the utmost of my capacity – this act that has caused so much death and suffering to the people.”
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Here is Cardinal Bo’s full message to Cardinal Ranjith, which he provided to Zenit’s Deborah Castellano Lubov
Dear Cardinal Ranjith, Brother Bishops and faithful,
It is with deep sorrow that I heard about the multiple bomb blasts in 3 churches and 3 hotels this morning in your nations’s capital Colombo.
Allow me to express my sincere anguish at this tragedy that has taken the toll on scores of innocent human lives on the very day when we celebrate world over the victory of life and goodness over death and evil.
As I place my humble prayers for all the victims of this senseless violence, I also pray for the care givers and relief agents.
We need to plead the mercy seat of the Risen Lord Jesus, the Prince of Hope and Peace, to strengthen all people of good will to help stabilize the situation of fear and suspicion that has arisen following the blasts.
I also extend the prayers of Brother Bishops and Faithful of all member countries of the Federation of the Asia Bishops’ Conference.
Charles Cardinal Bo, SDB
[Courtesy of Cardinal Bo]
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