7:26 AM

Lady of Madhu has reached back to Madhu

The sacred statue of Our Lady of Madhu has reached the Bishop House in Mannar until its eventual journey back to the Madhu Church. It is obvious that efforts by Rev.Dr. Rayappu, Bishop of Mannar to make a case for keeping the statue away from Madhu has failed.The sacred statue of Our Lady of MadhuThe sacred statue of Our Lady of Madhu

Catholics in Italy especially in Napoli and Rome were sending petition to the Holy See and specially the Papal Nuncio in Colombo who always opposed the LTTE terrorists for having interceded in the matter and brought final victory for the Catholics in Sri Lanka. Catholics in Italy will assemble as a group and thank the Holy See for the intervention. They are planning to have a special mass with progressive Catholic Priests for answering their prayers.

The Asian Tribune received the following press release regarding the statue of the Madhu Statue:

The announcement made by Bishop of Mannar Rev. Dr. Rayappu that the Sacred Statue of Our Lady of Madhu has been temporarily brought by to the Bishop’s House, in Mannar today the 22nd of July is a final victory for Sri Lankan Catholics and especially for Sri Lankan Catholics in Italy.

The Catholics in Italy rejoiced when the Bishop of Mannar also announced that the Sacred Statue will be taken back to its original abode Madhu, when the situation becomes conducive after due penitential services according to the tradition and practice of the Catholic Church.

This announcement has at last borne fruition to the agitation of the Sri Lankan Catholics in Italy, to safeguard Madhu from the clutches of the LTTE terrorists. From the time Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa telephoned Ambassador in Italy Hemantha Warnakulasuriya requesting him to intervene in getting the statute of Our Lady Madhu , it was a tireless effort by the progressive Sri Lankan Catholic Community in Italy who urged the Pope to interfere in this issue.

Earlier Catholic Bishops Conference was making noises about declaring the Madhu Church as a ‘no peace zone’ and that the Army and the LTTE must vacate the holy place to return the Madhu Statue which was taken by Bishop Rayappu to Tiger controlled area giving credence to the belief that Catholic Shrine was safe in Thevanpidy, an area under the control of the Tigers and also informing the international community that there are two territories and two states.

But the Sri Lankan Catholic Community in Italy signed a petition requesting the Holy See to intervene to rid the holy sanctuary of Madhu from the LTTE. “Bishop Rayappu had to eat humble pie when he ostensibly on the orders of the Holy See made a pronouncement that the LTTE should leave the Sanctuary.

This was few days before the Petition to be handed over to the Holy See. This petition gathered international recognition and Italian Catholics joined the Sri Lankan patriotic Catholics in Italy.

After the LTTE vacated the church and was occupied by the Army, the church was handed over to the trustees; however, the Sri Lankan Ambassador was jolted when he met Sri Lankan Catholics in Napoli. He was questioned by a strong Catholic community why he has given up his cause to bring back the Madhu Statue to the Madhu Church.

In fact the Catholics castigated Bishop Rayappu statement that the Madhu feast will be held without the statue. The Napoli Catholics wanted the Ambassador to mediate and find a time with the Holy See to hand over a petition to the Holy Father requesting him to intercede and order Bishop Rayppu to bring the statue back.

As Mr. Warnakualsuriya is not the Ambassador to the Vatican, the petition and the request was forwarded to another Ambassador T.B. Maduwegedera, who is the Ambassador in Germany. He is the accredited representative to the Vatican.

Ambassador Maduwegedera requested yesterday morning the Vatican to give time on Thursday to hand over the Petition of the Catholics from Rome and Vatican.

On Tuesday July 22nd at 11 a.m. the Madhu Statue has reached the Bishop House in Mannar.

The talk and the action of the Bishop Rayappu is resented by many progressive Catholics in Italy. In fact in Padua where the biggest gathering of Catholics resides, protested the manner the Statue of Madhu was taken to Thevanapidy earlier. Strangely, the Catholic Bishops Conference who have been extolling the virtue of peace and giving the LTTE a easy ride to call for peace and commit war will have to do a lot explaining about the steps leading to the statue leaving Madhu.

However, the statue has been brought to Mannar without fulfilling any of the conditions imposed by the Bishops Conference or the dictates of Rayappu who seem to be above the other Bishops.

Now the Catholics in Italy especially in Napoli and Rome are changing their petition to thank the Holy See and specially the Papal Nuncio in Colombo who always opposed the Tamil Tigers for having interceded in the matter and at last brought final victory for the Catholics in Sri Lanka. Now they will assemble in a small group and thank the Holy See for the intervention. They are planning to have a special mass with progressive Catholic Priests for answering their prayer.

0 comments: