What is the situation of Christians in Sri Lanka, a minority that has been the target of the wave of brutal attacks

The attacks occurred precisely on Easter Sunday, a central celebration of Christianity in which its faithful They celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ after being crucified.

Christians in Sri Lanka represent 1.2 million people out of a total population of 21 million in which the vast majority profess Buddhism (70%). Hinduism (12.6%) and Islam (9.7%) are other important religions, according to the latest national census conducted in 2011.

But whatever faith, the people of Sri Lanka is the third most religious city in the world, according to the consultant Gallup, because 99% said in 2008 that religion was a very important part of their lives.

In the case of Christians, who were partly the target of eight explosions last Sunday, including some committed by suicide bombers, 85% declare themselves Catholics and the remaining 15% are divided between Anglicans, Methodists and other Protestant denominations.

Two of the three churches attacked, in Kochchikade and Katuwapitiya, they are Catholic, while the third Batticaloa belongs to the charismatic evangelical movement, according to local media. Luxury hotels were also attacked and dozens of strangers were reportedly killed.

The situation of Christians in Sri Lanka is relatively peaceful and Its history in the country goes back, according to the tradition, to the first century when the religion was introduced thanks to the pilgrimage of Thomas the Apostle.

Although The consolidation of Catholics began in 1505 with the arrival of Portuguese explorers. In the seventeenth century and with the arrival of British and Dutch explorers, Protestantism has experienced strong growth without ever calling into question the numerical superiority of Catholics.

Especially these were recently perceived as a unifying force, since they had supporters among members of the Tamil minority and Sinhalese, the majority ethnic group, during the long period of 25 years of civil war that ended in 2009.

According to UN estimates, the conflict reportedly killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people between 1985 and 2009.

However, Some Christians are frowned upon because they support outside investigations into crimes allegedly committed by the armed forces against Tamils.

Attacks on religious minorities on the island were repeated, the last of interest in 2018, when the government had to declare a state of emergency after clashes between Sinhala Muslims and Buddhists with two dead and dozens of detainees.

Sunday's explosions, of unusual violence and whose exact nature is unknown, have not yet been claimed. On April 11, Sri Lankan police chief Pujuth Jayasundara alerted in a note to senior officials a radical Muslim group has planned suicide attacks against "important churches".

Pope Francis, the highest authority of the Catholic Church,He expressed his "sadness" Sunday after the bloody attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, declaring himself close to "all the victims of such cruel violence".

"I have learned with sadness the news of serious attacks, that today precisely, the day of Easter, they brought sorrow and pain to many churches and other meeting places in Sri Lanka "said the pontiff at the Vatican in a message in front of the crowd, just after the traditional blessing "Urbi et Orbi", according to the agency AFP.

"I want to manifest my affectionate closeness to the Christian community, beaten when it is together and in prayer, and with all the victims of this cruel violence. I entrust to the Lord those who have tragically disappeared and pray for the wounded and all those who suffer because of this dramatic event, "added Francisco.

While the archbishop of Colombo, the most important city in Sri Lanka, urged "mercilessly punish" the perpetrators of the attacks, he also reported AFP.