Bishop seeks peace zone around Madhu shrine

By Chris Kamalendran

The Bishop of Mannar yesterday told the government and the LTTE that the statue of Our Lady of Madhu – revered by millions of Catholics – would be taken back to the hallowed shrine if both sides declared a two-kilometre dimilitarised zone around the church.

Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph told The Sunday Times the army for the first time after the recapture of the Madhu church area on Friday permitted representatives of the church to visit the area. Accordingly, the Vicar General, Rev Fr. Victor Soosai and another priest went to the Madhu church.

Earlier Security Forces’ Wanni Commander Jagath Jayasuriya officially informed the Bishop that the Madhu area would be handed back to the church and the hallowed shrine was undamaged.

Bishop Joseph said that he had requested the government and the LTTE to guarantee a two-kilometre no-war zone around the shrine for the statue to be brought back. He insisted that such a guarantee must be given in writing.

The revered statue, which has a 400-year history, was removed on April 3 by a group of priests from the diocese because of the heavy fighting around the shrine.

The statue is currently being kept at St Anthony’s church at Devanpiddy, 45 kilometres away from the Madhu church. The army on Friday moved into the Madhu church area without any resistance after the LTTE withdrew.