The Sri Lanka Army handed over the Madu Church building to the Mannar Diocese within 48 hours of liberating the church premises from the LTTE that held the area since 1999.
Vicar Fr. Anthony Victor Susei enters church with the army
But Bishop Rayappu Joseph has refused accept the church from the army saying that conditions have not been fulfilled to the return of the Madu statue. The Bishop wants both the army and the LTTE to vacate the area before the statue is brought back.
Now the question is what right has the Bishop to ask the army to leave an area which is under government's jurisdiction. The hard fact is that it is the LTTE which has no legitimate right to operate in any area in the country.
Vicar Fr. Anthony Victor Susei and the army inside the Madu Church
When he was asked earlier whether the statue could be returned to the shrine since the church area had been taken over by the security forces, he said he could not say whether the LTTE would permit the statue to be returned. The cat is now out of the bag.
The Army's 57th brigade rendered Tiger supply and communication systems ineffective before the infantry marched into the premises. As the army advanced for 11 days with great difficulty through the mine-infested Madu Road LTTE leaders 'Malathi', 'Radha' and 'Charles' and finally 'Gojith' fled the area without putting up any resistance but only after detonating bombs to damage a section of the church building in order to deceive the world that the army shelling caused it.
The Army, moving into the general area around the Madhu Church, found a number of LTTE-built lt around the church grounds and trenches dug by the LTTE for defending their positions, according to Defence Spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanyakkara. Troops found that the roof and some windows of the church had been damaged but the shrine is now open for worship by the pilgrims or people of the area.
It has now been proved that the LTTE had used the premises to fire at the army in order to attract shelling from the government troops so that if the shrine was destroyed in the process it can be argued that the army deliberately destroyed it.
Wanni Brigade Commander Major General Jagath Jayasuriya handed over the church to Mannar Bishop's representative Vicar of Mannar Fr. Anthony Victor Susei. He however expressed his ignorance of who caused damage to the church saying that both the army and LTTE had used heavy artillery.
Inside he Madu Church
Vicar Fr. Anthony Victor Susei enters church with the army
But Bishop Rayappu Joseph has refused accept the church from the army saying that conditions have not been fulfilled to the return of the Madu statue. The Bishop wants both the army and the LTTE to vacate the area before the statue is brought back.
Now the question is what right has the Bishop to ask the army to leave an area which is under government's jurisdiction. The hard fact is that it is the LTTE which has no legitimate right to operate in any area in the country.
Vicar Fr. Anthony Victor Susei and the army inside the Madu Church
When he was asked earlier whether the statue could be returned to the shrine since the church area had been taken over by the security forces, he said he could not say whether the LTTE would permit the statue to be returned. The cat is now out of the bag.
The Army's 57th brigade rendered Tiger supply and communication systems ineffective before the infantry marched into the premises. As the army advanced for 11 days with great difficulty through the mine-infested Madu Road LTTE leaders 'Malathi', 'Radha' and 'Charles' and finally 'Gojith' fled the area without putting up any resistance but only after detonating bombs to damage a section of the church building in order to deceive the world that the army shelling caused it.
The Army, moving into the general area around the Madhu Church, found a number of LTTE-built lt around the church grounds and trenches dug by the LTTE for defending their positions, according to Defence Spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanyakkara. Troops found that the roof and some windows of the church had been damaged but the shrine is now open for worship by the pilgrims or people of the area.
It has now been proved that the LTTE had used the premises to fire at the army in order to attract shelling from the government troops so that if the shrine was destroyed in the process it can be argued that the army deliberately destroyed it.
Wanni Brigade Commander Major General Jagath Jayasuriya handed over the church to Mannar Bishop's representative Vicar of Mannar Fr. Anthony Victor Susei. He however expressed his ignorance of who caused damage to the church saying that both the army and LTTE had used heavy artillery.
Inside he Madu Church
ekai tak gaala ariye 
hehe lol
