Man who suffered most considers church bomb blast a ´blessing´

The man who suffered most in the bomb blast at Assumption Church in Kathmandu on May 23 is 41-year-old Balann Joseph, a Kathmandu resident originally from Kerala state, India. He lost his wife and daughter in the explosion.

Balann Joseph (left, with a bandaged hand) at the cremation of his wife at the Teku Arya Ghat in Kathmandu on June 1

Joseph, however, has stated that he considers the incident to be a “blessing” and has forgiven the woman responsible for the explosion during the main Sunday Mass, held here on Saturday, Nepal´s weekly holiday.

On June 1, police arrested the woman, Shrestha, whom Joseph identified as the person who left a bag in the Church. The bag contained a pressure-cooker bomb that killed three worshippers and injured 14 others.

“When I first heard of the arrest, I wanted to see the woman and go and literally kill her. But later I realized that as a Catholic, I should not be thinking like that,” Joseph said.

“Then I thought of what has been written in the Bible. I recalled Saul´s life and his transformation afterwards, and I forgave her and prayed that she would also realize her mistake and change her life like Saul did,” he added.

According to Joseph, the incident changed the Catholic community´s routine life. “I am deeply moved that the whole world is now praying for my family and I, and the other unfortunate victims of this tragedy,” he said.

Some Assumption parishioners were seen weeping as the man stood in front of them during the same weekly Mass on June 6 and told them how he had forgiven the woman and that the greatest tragedy of his life also carried hidden blessings.

“I hope and pray to God that Shrestha stands here one day, asks forgiveness and testifies like I am doing right now,” Joseph told the gathering.

Other parishioners were awestruck by the testimony.

“I don´t think I would have been able to do that had I been in his place,” Dhirendra Evan Sitling, a parishioner and father of a 5-year-old son, told UCA News on June 13.

Sun Bahadur Tamang, who is attending to his seriously injured wife at a hospital, echoed Sitling´s words.

“What Joseph has done is commendable and in the spirit of being a true and dedicated Catholic,” he said. “After hearing Joseph´s words, even I have started feeling that all this was God´s plan. God wanted some of us to die while he miraculously saved so many lives that day.”

While Joseph´s daughter, Celeste Joseph, was killed instantly in the blast, his wife, Buddha Laxmi Joseph, died in a hospital on May 31.

Joseph told UCA News that the arrested woman regretted that her action caused so few fatalities.

“I had targeted at least 20 to 25 people, but sadly there were only three deaths,” he quoted Shrestha as telling him during his visit to the police station.

Assumption Church has set up a fund for the treatment of the injured, at least three of whom have already been discharged from the hospital.