Cardinal condemns attack on Sri Lankans

THE RC Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has condemned an “unprovoked” attack by a group of policemen and army soldiers on Sri Lankan citizens who were protesting last Friday. President Ranil Wickremesinghe had been in power for less than 24 hours at the time of the attack, after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and then resigned (News, 15 July). “[The president] came saying that he would protect the constitution,” Cardinal Ranjith said, but instead had “acted against the basic right of the people to protest, which is a democratic right, which was exercised non-violently by the youth”. He continued: “We hold the president responsible for any future disaster that might come as a result of his actions.”

South Sudan and DRC ‘deteriorating’

CHURCH leaders and Christian groups in South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed concern at the continued deterioration of the humanitarian and political situations in the two countries, the World Council of Churches (WCC) reports. The Roman Catholic peace movement, Pax Christi International, and the Union of International Superior General-Union of Superiors General, held special prayers for peace this week. A Kenyan RC sister who is a co-president of Pax Christi, the Revd Teresia Wamuyu Wachira, said: “The two countries we have gathered for and pray with have for decades experienced and continue to experience violent conflicts. We are also reminded and brought face to face with the reality that there are children who have been born in war, and therefore have never experienced peace, justice, and joy.”