Sri Lanka, Aug. 13 -- It took almost two weeks for the Catholic Church to express its stance on the death penalty imposed on former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara over the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

The Muslim terrorist group that carried out the series of suicide bombings on that fateful day targeted mainly Catholics who were praying in three churches and holidaying in three luxury hotels.

Was it the Daily Mirror article published on August 6, titled 'Are the Easter Sunday victims happy with the death sentences?', that prompted Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith to break the silence on the death penalty, 11 days after it was imposed on two senior officials?

While...