Restore peace, sanctity to Madu Church - Jaffna Bishop

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 April 2008, 07:15 GMT]
"Both parties engaged in war activities in the sacred area of Our Lady of Madu Church in Mannaar should immediately vacate the area creating a sanctified and peaceful atmosphere conducive to conduct religious practices," Rev. Justin Gnanapragasam, resident principal priest in Jaffna Bishop House said in an appeal sent Sunday to the Bishop of Mannar, sources in Jaffna said. The letter expressed concern for the forced relocation of the holy statue of Our Lady of Madu, and said all Christians share the grief with Bishop of Mannar.

In the absence of Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Thomas Soundaranayagam who is on foreign visit, Rev. Justin Gnananpragasam dispatched the above request from Jaffna Bishop House to the Bishop of Mannaar.

The request appealed to the Bishop of Mannaar to take efforts to restore peace and sanctity to the holy area of Our Lady of Madu by urging the warring parties to declare the area as a war-free-zone so that devotees could offer their prayers to the Holy Mother as they had been doing in the past.

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