Ahead of PM Modi's visit to Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church on Easter Sunday, Fr. Francis Swaminathan said the visit will demonstrate his support for the minorities.
The name Holy Week was used in the 4th century by St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, and St. Epiphanius of Constantia. Originally, only Good Friday and Holy Saturday were observed as holy days.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Director Legal, Hariguptha Rohanadheera, stated that the accused have been charged for carrying out suicide bomb blasts at eight locations, including three churches and three-star hotels in Colombo.
51 worshippers were shot dead in mosque attacks in the New Zealand city of Christchurch while more than 250 people died in Sri Lanka as a result of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday.
Expressing China's strong condemnation of the terror attacks in Sri Lanka, Xi said China is ready to stand alongside the Sri Lankan government and people.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has issued a Presidential decree banning all forms of face covers including Islamic garments such as burqa.
The deadly bombings that targeted churches and hotels, most of them in Colombo, claimed the lives of 253 people and injured over 500 others, in the bloodiest attacks in Sri Lanka since the civil war ended a decade ago.
The ISIS claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group NTJ for the attacks.
"In view of the prevailing security situation in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of terror attacks on 21 April 2019, Indian nationals intending to travel to Sri Lanka are advised not to undertake non-essential travel," the advisory issued by the External Affairs Ministry said.
Munawwar Pasha, the president of the Mysuru chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JeIM) said the appeal has been made to convey the message that the Muslims and other communities stand by the Christians at this hour of grief.
