Card. Ranjith: fight for justice a sign of the Resurrection in Colombo
In his Easter homily, the archbishop recalled the first anniversary since the April 9, 2022 start of the protests that led to the fall of President Rajapaksa. "Young people have shown courage, we cannot resign ourselves to evil." Remembered in an interfaith celebration the victims of the crackdown on the demonstrations.
Colombo (AsiaNews) - The Sri Lankan people's struggle to defend their rights in the country's grave situation is a witness to the new life transmitted by the Risen One said the Archbishop of Colombo, Card. Malcom Ranjith, in his Easter Sunday homily delivered in the cathedral.
It was a message linked to the fact that in the very same hours Sri Lanka commemorated the first anniversary of the beginning of Aragalaya, the popular uprising that began on April 9, 2022 and would later lead to the resignation of then President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in July.
Card. Ranjith noted that "Christianity is a faith of people who know how to smile even in the midst of problems. This is the resurrection. And that is what Jesus showed on the cross: he challenged the negative attitudes of life."
"Some people," he continued in his homily, "say not to try to change, but to let things go on by themselves. Instead, the young people who went to the square in front of Parliament wanted to be agents of change in this country. They showed courage. And resurrection means just that."
"Instead, if we let ourselves be overcome by the force of habit, let things go, we no longer oppose evil. We are the ones who have to change. As Christians, we must commit ourselves: this is resurrection."
The anniversary of the start of the protests was commemorated Sunday morning at the Galle Face Green with a windfall attended by religious leaders including Buddhist monks, a Methodist priest, a Catholic nun, Muslim representatives and several civil society activists. Relatives of people who died in Aragalaya were also present.
During the commemoration, organizers unveiled a memorial, lit lamps and performed religious rites in memory of the victims of the crackdown. One of the protest leaders, Ajantha Perera said that if progress has been made in the country since the year 2022, it is because of the people's struggle.
"We see that the current government is also working to turn the people's struggle into terrorism through various laws, but we say we are not afraid of them. Regardless of the threats and obstacles, we will continue to carry on this struggle to achieve the change we want in this country."
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05/01/2023 10:38
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03/02/2022 15:28
