Madhu shrine dispute continues

   
Mannar Bishop Rt. Rev Rayappu Joseph yesterday charged that the security forces personnel were not allowing them to enter the Madhu Shrine but the military denied the charges saying the clergy could take over the shrine any time.
The Bishop said that the statue of ‘Our Lady of Madhu’ could be brought back only when they were allowed to go to the shrine. He said the statue could be brought back and the feast could be held only when every thing was cleared and the devotees could go there.

He said the annual feast in July was celebrated by all parishes, but wondered if the main feast could be held on August 15 as the shrine was not available.

The Bishop said they had informed the LTTE and the government to keep out of the shrine and hoped both parties would heed the request.

However Army Spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the Bishop and the church any time.

He said Mannar’s Vicar General Rev. Fr. Victor Soosai and a few other priests had already visited the shrine and evaluated the situation. However he said the ordinary citizens could not be allowed in the shrine area as the area was mined.

 “It will take some time for the army to clear them,” he said.

The statue of “Our Lady of Madhu” was removed to the Kiliveddy church brodering Kilinochchi in April this year following hostilities between the security forces and the LTTE.

Meanwhile the TamilNadu church is also set to call for the setting up of a peace zone in Madhu informed sources said.

A special prayer for the cause is to be held at the ordination of the New Bishop of Kumbakolum Chennai Rev S. Ananda Sarmy on July 9 calling for the setting up of a peace zone in Madhu and the handover of the shrine to the Sri Lankan church.