The Archdiocese of Colombo has reaffirmed its commitment to seeking justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, while stating that it does not support the imposition of the death penalty.

Issuing a statement, the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said the Archdiocese remains in “total solidarity” with the victims and continues to seek the identification of the mastermind or masterminds and all parties associated with the attacks.

The Archdiocese also called for continued efforts to prevent organized or extremist attacks at places of worship and other locations, stressing that authorities have a responsibility to take all possible measures to prevent such incidents.

However, the Archdiocese said capital punishment is inadmissible under Paragraph 2267 of the 2018 revised Catechism of the Catholic Church, as it violates human dignity.

It said the Catholic Church therefore does not agree with the imposition of the death penalty.

At the same time, the Archdiocese stressed that it has full confidence in the independence of Sri Lanka’s judiciary and does not intend to interfere with its deliberations or decisions.

The statement also emphasized that the Catholic Church does not seek revenge, citing former Pope St. John Paul II’s call for forgiveness while maintaining justice, accountability and public order through established legal systems.