On May 21, 2019, one month after the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, the Mass for its victims was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary, the largest Cathedral in Russia, by His Grace Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of the Virgin Mother in Moscow, in the presence of another Archbishop, His Grace Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to the Russian Federation.
The Mass was attended by the Heads, Deputy Chief of Missions and other diplomatic officers from over 33 countries, including the Ambassadors of India, Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Palestine, Bahrein, the Charge d’Affairs of the USA, the Minister Plenipotentiary of China, representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Russia-Sri Lanka Friendship Society, leading Moscow universities, Russian media and business representatives, and members of the Sri Lankan community in Moscow.
The lingering sounds of the sung mass, the beautiful music of the choir, the soft voices of the priests, rose up and filled the vaults of the Gothic Cathedral, while the prayers were emerging in the people’s hearts to God. Every sound, every voice, however small and insignificant, is enhanced by the walls of the Cathedral, as if in an attempt to keep the memory of it, to prolong its life. Every sound, every breath, every plea, reverberating and lingering for what seems to be an eternal moment in time, eventually fades away and disappears, only to continue its existence in some other form, making its invisible journey, to bring us peace in return.
“Christ gives us peace, which the world cannot give us,” said Archbishop Paolo Pezzi during the mass. Commemorating the victims of the Easter Sunday massacre in Sri Lanka, His Grace spoke of them as the witnesses of Christ, who will remain as examples for us of being faithful to the very end. The audience of over 150 people, consisted of representatives of different faiths, nationalities, and social standing, brought together in one place to pay tribute to those, who lost their lives in a peaceful country, on a peaceful day of one of the most joyful Christian holidays in an attack against our humanity.
In one of the most touching moments of the service, the participants of the mass laid flowers before the sign which simply read, “Easter Sunday Massacre. Sri Lanka. 21.04.2019”. One carnation flower was put by every person near the altar on a piece of cloth of the colour of the National Flag of Sri Lanka. Some knelt down before the sign, some had tears in their eyes, and all of them were one at that particular moment in their lives. There are no words that can express that feeling. After the mass, there were lots of white flowers on a red cloth in the heart of Moscow.
