Sri Lanka Christian community still dealing with 'irreplaceable' loss five years on from the Easter day massacre

Five years after the tragic Easter day massacre in Sri Lanka, the Christian community, deeply affected by the loss of 279 lives in the island's deadliest suicide attack, has continued to seek justice and answers.

Among the grieving are Saman Sirimanna and his wife Sriyani, who lost their two children when a suicide bomber targeted St. Anthony's Church in Colombo. "My loss is irreplaceable," Sirimanna shared with AFP.

He explained how the slow judicial process and ongoing investigations have only added to their anguish.

Last year, a court concluded that Sri Lanka's former president and top officials had "ignored" critical warnings that could have prevented the attacks, yet affected families like the Sirimannas are still waiting for ordered compensation to be fulfilled.

"I am the first person who filed legal action," Sirimanna stated. "I went to court because the authorities did not carry out their responsibilities."

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, representing the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, has been vocal about the lack of a credible investigation into the bombings. He told the news agency: "We have been critical of government people and various authorities over and over again, but no positive response has come". 

As Sri Lanka commemorates this tragic anniversary with a remembrance service at St Sebastian's Church, one of the sites attacked, Cardinal Ranjith underscored a desire for understanding over vengeance: "We are not interested in punishing anybody, but we are interested to know why somebody did that to these people," he stated. "They have a right to know."