The Cardinal has decided not to attend the Independence Day celebrations this year, Catholic Church spokesman Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando said at a media briefing held at the Archbishop’s Palace in Colombo today (3rd).
Fr Cyril Gamini also said that Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has decided not to hold his annual Independence Day service at the All Saints’ Church in Borella every year.
The Cardinal has taken this decision because of the failure to fulfil justice to the Easter Sunday terror attack victims and the unjust detention of a church employee named Munindran, who served at the All Saints’ Church in Borella. He is remanded in connection with the incident where a hand grenade was found in the church.
However, Fr Cyril Gamini said that Independence Day services will be held in churches across the country and that a representative of the Cardinal would be attending the Independence Day celebrations.
He said the Magistrate at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court too had said she was not satisfied with the ongoing investigations into the bombing and that the investigation should be expedited. He added that the church had decided not to hold the service at the church due to the persecution of innocent people.
