With churches shut after bombs, Sri Lankans hear Mass on TV
Source: Associated Press
With churches shut after bombs, Sri Lankans hear Mass on TV
By JON GAMBRELL
April 27, 2019
AMPARA, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lankas Catholics on Sunday awoke to celebrate Mass in their homes by a televised broadcast as churches across the island nation shut over fears of militant attacks, a week after the Islamic State-claimed Easter suicide bombings killed over 250 people.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, delivered a homily before members of the clergy gathered in a small chapel at his Colombo residence an extraordinary measure underlining the fear still gripping this nation of 21 million people.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo has warned against attending any service at a place of worship this weekend.
In the eastern district of Ampara on Sunday, where a gunfight and explosions left 15 people dead the previous day, soldiers guarded St. Mary Magdalens Church, where a sign on the gate said the church and the school would be closed until May 6. A nearby mosque also had soldiers stationed outside.
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