SLA occupation of churches in Vadamaraadchi shocks Jaffna Bishop

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 February 2010, 02:52 GMT]
Jaffna Bishop, Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam is reported to be in great shock on witnessing Vettilaikkea’ni Kappal Eanthiya Maathaa Koayil, a historically famous St. Mary’s Church in Vadmaraadchi East, being converted into a big military base of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), on his recent visit to Vanni and Vadamaraadchi, according to sources close to Jaffna Bishop House. The Bishop had been instructed by SLA authorities not to release any information about the said church to media or other institutions, the sources further said.

Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam had recently visited many places in Vanni including Puthumaaththa’lan that had been caught in the war.

The Bishop was greatly pained on seeing many churches completely destroyed by SLA during the war in Vanni, the sources said.

The sight of Vettilaikkea’ni Maathaa Koayil and its surroundings being turned into a big military base enclosed by fences and sentry posts besides the wanton destruction of the church had greatly shocked the Bishop, the sources added.

The above famous church where thousands of Catholic devotees used to attend mass in the past is located in Vadamaraadchi East which had been out of the war zone and the conversion of it into a military base shows SLA’s disregard to the religious sentiments of Catholics, the sources said.

Kaddaikkaadu too, in Vadamaraadchi East, where many Catholic churches have been destroyed by SLA which has brought the area under its full control.