Nuncio in Sri Lanka : 'In the name of God, stop the bloodshed, convert and be reconciled"
The Papal envoy presided over celebrations marking Vatican the 25th anniversary of Mannar Diocese in the north, scene of martyrdom in the past, today violent battleground between separatists and army. From our correspondent.
Mannar (AsiaNews) - Sri Lanka's Apostolic Nuncio has made an impassioned appeal for an end to the bloodshed that threatens to drag the country back into war. Mgr Mario Zenari urged the church to speak out for peace as he addressed thousands of people gathered for open-air mass on 28 January to mark the 25th anniversary of Mannar Diocese in the north, where violence has risen sharply in recent weeks.
Mgr Zenari said: "We celebrate this feast with cries of joy but also with cries of pain, with hope and apprehension. We cannot but ask [Christ], through the intercession of Our Lady of Lanka, for the special gift most needed in our country, the gift of peace. " Pastors have the mission and the duty to raise their voice loudly and clearly: 'In the name of God, stop the bloodshed, convert and be reconciled.'"
Mannar Diocese covers Mannar and Vavuniya districts in Sri Lanka's predominantly Tamil northern lands, which are bitterly fought over by the Sri Lankan army and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
In recent weeks, assassinations and attacks on the security forces followed by reprisals against civilians and arbitrary arrest have become part of daily life in Sri Lanka's north-east. In Mannar, four Tamils from the village of Pesalai, including a three-year-old child, are missing after Navy personnel attacked villagers following a claymore attack on 23 December which killed 13 sailors. The Mannar bishop, Rayappu Joseph, fears they have been killed.
Mgr Zenari called on "whoever has the responsibility for representing the people to have the wisdom and courage to promote human rights, justice for people and to have the wisdom and courage to settle the dispute with peaceful means with the assistance of the international community."
The Nuncio's words come as the government and LTTE prepare to meet for peace talks in Geneva in a bid to hold a tattered ceasefire together. Sri Lanka is waiting with bated breath for the outcome of negotiations, the result of an emergency visit by Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim last week.
Failure to reach agreement means return to a war which has dragged on for more than 20 years now, claiming around 70,000 lives and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
The short life of Mannar diocese has been heavily scarred by the war and oppression. Addressing the anniversary celebrations, the Vicar-General, Fr Xavier Croos, said: "We have had to face many challenges due to the ethnic war. Many of our people have been displaced here and abroad and a good number have died.Others had their homes destroyed and were left homeless. This was a kind of martyrdom of our people to bear witness to Christ even in times of suffering. Priests were threatened and we lost on of our young priests, Fr Mary Bastian, who was killed in the church presbytery in Vankalai in 1985.We stood together and faced these challenges around our chief pastor."
Fr Croos said the trials had served to strengthen the faith of the people. "The diocese has been blessed by many vocations to the priesthood and religious life and committed lay people."
The majority of the population of Mannar district is Catholic and it has a strong church tradition. The 28 January celebration was held in Thoddaveli, a shrine marking the place where 600 converted Catholics were massacred by the local king of Jaffna nearly 450 years ago, in December 1544.
A declaration from the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, giving the go-ahead for the diocesan inquiry for the canonisation process of these "Mannar martyrs", was read out during the jubilee celebration.
Mannar diocese today has 27 parishes, 45 priests and 30 religious congregations.
The bishops of Jaffna, Badulla and Anuradhapura also attended the celebration.
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08/01/2008
