Cardinal pardons vandals in Angulana Church ransack
Four youths who allegedly caused damage to the statue and the Blessed Sacrament after forcibly entering the St. Francis Xavier Church in Angulana, Moratuwa were arrested by the Angulana police.
They were later released from the police custody after Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo had asked the police to pardon the suspects.
The Archbishop’s massage pardoning the suspects was conveyed to the police by Rev. Father Christo Viraj and Rev. Kasun Fernando, a police officer said.
The Rev. Fathers who visited the Angulana police station told Mt. Lavinia SP Raveendra Karawita that Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has decided to pardon the suspects observing the kindness and love of Jesus Christ and also considering the value of religious harmony.
The suspects bowed and accepted the pardon from the two Rev. Fathers. They were advised by the Rev. Fathers to behave well and refrain from such misdeeds in the future. After recording statements, the suspects were released by Angulana OIC IP Ranjith Rajapaksa.
The suspects offered to pay for the damage done by them to the statue and the sacrament. But their offer was politely turned down and they were advised to give that money to a children’s home.
One of the suspects was a Catholic and the other three suspects were Buddhists. They had ransacked the church last Wednesday under the influence of liquor which they had had at a party.
Rev. Fathers met with Mt. Lavinia SP Raveendra Karawita and said Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith had decided to pardon the suspects observing the kindness and love of Jesus Christ