SINGAPORE — The Vatican has named 167 people who died in the 2019 Easter bombings in Sri Lanka as "heroes of faith".

The country's cardinal, Malcolm Ranjith, made the announcement at an event to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the suicide attacks which targeted Catholic churches and five-star hotels during Easter Sunday mass, killing 269 people.

Those recognized by the Vatican were Catholic faithful attending mass at the churches that were attacked.

The bombings shook the country, which had not seen such levels of violence since the end of a civil war in 2009. However, since then investigations into the attacks have been controversial.

There has been public criticism from families of the victims and from the island's minority Christian community, who accuse the government of dragging their feet in taking action against those suspected of carrying out the bombings.

Anger grew as information emerged that intelligence warnings about the attacks were not acted upon by security heads or the government of the time. The country's Supreme Court has since directed then president Maithripala Sirisena to pay compensation to the victims of the bombings for "ignoring actionable intelligence" that could have prevented the attacks.

A trial was opened against 25 people accused of masterminding the attacks in 2021. However, with 23,000 charges filed against the men, lawyers involved in the case warned that the sheer number of charges and staggering witness list could mean the trial dragging on for years.

The Catholic community led by Cardinal Ranjith has repeatedly alleged that the government at the time covered up investigations "to protect the brains behind the attacks".

A 2023 investigation by Channel 4, which raised questions about links between the government, military and the group blamed for the attacks, also prompted public anger. It alleged that the attacks were allowed to happen for political power.

Presidential elections held soon after the attacks saw Gotabaya Rajapaksa sweep to power, after campaigning on a national security platform.

He made a statement in parliament denying all the allegations raised in the documentary.

The issue gained new currency when Sri Lanka elected a new president and parliament in 2024. The newly-elected government has since alleged that the attacks were a conspiracy by a "certain group" to seize political power at the time.

They have also reopened investigations into the attacks, with a report of a presidential inquiry commission officially handed over to the country's central investigative agency for further inquiry.

"As a government, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that justice is served. Ongoing efforts to investigate the attacks and uncover all truths without obstruction or delay remain a top priority. Accountability, transparency, and genuine justice are essential to honoring the memory of the victims and restoring public trust," Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said in a statement to mark the anniversary. — BBC