Special mass to celebrate Christmas -Jaffna

Laying aside the sour experiences of the member conflicts over two decades, the Christian population in Jaffna peninsula well-known the rising of most deferential Christmas as the midnight on 24th December till the dawn of next day.
A special Mass had been conducted by the Jaffna Arch Bishop Rev. Father Thomas Ravundranayagam at the St. Mary's minster Jaffna. The Rev. Fathers of the church and over 2500 devotees participated in this special event. The troops in the Jaffna peninsula also comprehensive their fullest co-operation for this event providing the necessary security measures, and uneven the Curfew hours completely under the guidance of Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. GA Chandrasiri.
This historical and rite occasion was transmit to the world by the SL. Broadcasting Cooperation and it was telecasted as a recorded program by the SL. National Rupavahini on that day. By the independent views expressed to the media by thousands of gathering, it was revealed that the public in Jaffna peninsula enjoyed a huge mental leisure as a result of the caring operations conducted by the government troops for the liberation of innocent people. The troops and the present government were extremely appreciated by the Christian inhabitants in Jaffna for creating a convenient ambiance to celebrate their grate religious ceremony in a nonviolent surrounding.
The Christians living in the fishing rural communitys such as Gurunagar and Pasivur also joined the Christmas celebrations very excitedly decorating their homes with bright luminous bulbs.In its place of all these things the public in the peninsular highly admire the privilege of freedom and peace that they regained as a result of the devotion of valiant troops. So they wish a peaceful life for all the countrymen in this festive season with the blessings of the Jesus Christ.

President has audience with Pope

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who visited the Vatican previous morning (Dec 1) has an spectators with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
At the spectators held at the Holy Father's records in Vatican, the Sri Lankan President apprised the Pope about current developments in Sri Lanka, particularly the clearing of the Madhu area from terrorists and restoring and reopening the Sacred Madhu Shrine for worship.
It is learnt that Pope Benedict spoken his keen interest in the developments in Sri Lanka, the moves by the Government to provide humanitarian assistance, the hope for the reinstatement of democratic freedoms in all of Sri Lanka, The Pope had also spoken his concern at the spread of terrorism in the region, and the need for more concentrated act internationally to get rid of terrorism, wherever it occurs.
Later the Sri Lankan President apprised the Secretary of State of the Vatican Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone about the state of affairs in the North, and the development made in combating and defeating terrorism in Sri Lanka so far, such as the let go of the East that was achieved since his preceding call to the Vatican.
In discussions on the current situation, the President informed the Secretary of State of the successes in military process in the North, particularly the freeing of the Madhu area and the sacred shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, which is an important centre of Catholic adoration and pilgrimage, the restoration of the Madhu Church by Sri Lankan troops after the damage caused by the LTTE that previous controlled the area, and that after many years the Madhu Church is now open for worship.
The President also apprised the Cardinal Bertone of the caring situation in the North and the steps being taken by the Government to help the persons for the time being displaced owing to the continuing military operations to free the North too of terrorism, particularly due to the LTTE holding civilians as human buffers in areas still under its control, where the troops had been instructed to make sure the security and help the civilians exaggerated by the disagreement.
President Rajapaksa explained the Cardinal that spiritual freedom and freedom of adoration is certain in the Sri Lankan association and the country has a long historic custom of spiritual harmony.
The President also said government is keen on a political settlement to the ethnic conflict after the defeat of terrorism and repeated his request to the LTTE to lay down their arms, surrender and enter the democratic process.
The Secretary of condition of Vatican spoken good wishes for reinstatement of calm and liberty for all people in Sri Lanka. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Germany T. B. Maduwegedara who is accredited to Vatican were too there at the chat with the Cardinal.

Madhu shrine opens from August 12 to 17

The Government will open the Madhu Church for devotees from August 12 to 17.

During this period 200 devotees will be daily given an opportunity to worship the statue of Our Lady of Madhu replaced in her abode in the church only at noon.

After the liberation of the Madhu Church from the clutches of terrorists, de-mining has been carried out in a limited area in the vicinity of the church and this has caused the Government to limit the number of devotees visiting the church.

The Security Forces will also provide food and other facilities to the devotees worshipping the Madhu Shrine.

The devotees are expected to extend their fullest co-operation to the relevant authorities there.

Courtesy: Daily News

For God's sake- The Island editorial on Madhu Liberation

It is heartening that a programme is now underway to demilitarize the Madu Church at long last. The liberation of that holy shrine from the clutches of a bunch of criminals who had turned it into an unholy fortress has brought relief not only to the Catholic community in this country but also to all Sri Lankans who treasure it as a national asset.

Those who claimed that the Madu shrine was free from the LTTE presence stand exposed for their diabolical lies. Well fortified bunkers, trenches and other tell-tale marks demonstrate that the Tigers had launched offensives against the army from the Madhu precincts in a bid to have the shrine destroyed in retaliatory fire.

Stepping into a place of worship is an enlightening experience. The army may have realised from its successful operation that took Madhu back safely that it could defeat terrorism in a similar manner. The Madhu battle also demonstrated the daunting task that a professional army is faced with in confronting a band of terrorists who enjoy unbridled freedom to achieve their objective even at the expense of a much venerated shrine. Sadly, even some priests betrayed their bias for the LTTE. A section of the media is clutching at the proverbial straw claiming that the army has taken back a hollow shrine without a hallowed statue. A similar argument was peddled when Jaffna was recaptured in 1995. It was claimed that the army had taken a ghost town and its victory was not worth its trouble. But, after sometime the forcibly evicted people returned - that forcible eviction didn't trigger an angry reaction from human rights activists in Colombo! - and Jaffna came alive. Likewise, the statue of Our Lady is bound to return to its venerated abode, sooner or later.

The Tigers have proved once again that they are no respecters of religions. They have perpetrated heinous acts of terror against places of worship and the clergy, as we pointed out on Feb. 14 in the aftermath of its shell attack on the Thallady camp. They mowed down scores of Buddhist devotees in Anuradhapura in 1985 and gunned down 33 young Buddhist monks at Arantalawa in 1987. In 1998, they bombed the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the most venerated Buddhist shrine in this country. Among the crimes the LTTE has committed against Muslims includes the massacres inside two mosques at Eravur and Kaththankudy in 1990. Hundreds of Muslims were shot and hacked to death while they were praying. Last year, the Tigers killed a kurukkal in the Eastern Province as he had blessed President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to the East. This year began with a crime the LTTE committed inside a kovil in Colombo, where UNP MP T. Maheswaran was shot dead in cold blood.

Therefore, those who support, in any way, an outfit which doesn't hesitate to sacrifice anything human or divine on the altar of terrorism are making a disservice not only to this country and her people abhorring terrorism but also mankind. The LTTE is driven by the same fanatical terror as the al queda-Taliban combine that brought down the world famous Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan.

None will be safe from the LTTE being encircled in the Wanni. Prabhakaran's desperation knows no bounds. Those whom God wishes to destroy, they say, he first makes mad. He doesn't need anyone else to destroy him. He is his own enemy!

Now that the Madhu shrine has been secured, the onus is on the government to ensure its safety and preserve its sanctity. It must strictly be a demilitarized zone. Render unto God what's God's!

Madhu Liberation - Daily News Editorial

The liberation of the Madhu Church precincts from the terrorists marks a watershed in the Northern war theatre. The troops trod with utmost caution in the sacred area, honouring a No Fire Zone arrangement, which the LTTE unfortunately violated. The soldiers ensured that no harm was caused to the Sacred Shrine, renowned throughout Asia.

The Army faced a formidable task vis-a-vis Madhu. The LTTE had heavily mined the area. The slightest propaganda by the troops and any damage to the Church would have sent the LTTE misinformation network into hyperdrive. It is to their credit that they managed this feat without literally falling into the traps laid by the LTTE, physically and metaphorically.

One unsolved mystery is why the Madhu Church authorities conveyed the Scared Statue of Our Lady of Madhu to another location in an LTTE-dominated area, in spite of repeated pleas by the clergy and laity to convey the statue to a Government-controlled area, so that Christians from both Sinhala and Tamil communities could pay homage to it.

We hope the priests will now return the Statue to its rightful abode, where it will be protected and venerated by all. The Government and the Army will spare no effort to preserve the sanctity of the church zone, which has seen conflict for a number of years.

It is not only the Madhu Church that has seen the ravages of conflict. The Sri Dalada Maligawa was attacked by LTTE terrorists 10 years ago.

The LTTE gunned down pilgrims in Anuradhapura in 1985. Many Buddhist places of worship in the North and East have been partially or completely destroyed. Kovils and mosques have also been affected.

It is an unwritten rule of war that places of worship are not attacked. But the LTTE has violated this rule many times. In the case of Madhu, newspapers reported how LTTE cadres virtually set up base in and around the Church. They disregarded the No Fire Zone.

Now that the Forces, and hence the Government, have regained the Madhu Church area, Christians can heave a collective sigh of relief. With the impending liberation of the entire North, pilgrims of all over Sri Lanka will soon be able to venerate this famous shrine in a free and peaceful atmosphere.

Courtesy: The Daily News