When His Lordship Bishop Rayappu Joseph, the Bishop of Mannar was contacted last evening, he said that, " the Sri Lanka Army informed me that they have entered the Madhu Shrine premises. Since I'm unable to visit the Shrine now due to heavy fighting around the area, I'm unable to to tell the situation at the Shrine ".

The Secretary to the Bishop of Mannar, Rev. Fr. Suresh said in the afternoon, that the Vanni Sri Lanka Army Commander visited the Bishop House and requested a priest to visit the Shrine along with him. Facilities were made available only for one priests to visit the Shrine and the Vicar General Very Rev. Fr. Victor Soosai had gone to the Madhu Shrine in the monring today.

Just few days ago the Catholic Bishops' Conference in Sri Lanka issuing a Statement appealed to LTTE and the Sri Lanka Army to keep away from the hallowed Madhu Shrine which under the administration of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Mannar.

The Catholics in Sri Lanka will totally reject the hidden agendas of anyone to make use of the much loved and sacred Madhu Shrine for any political advantages or for any other purposes. Thousands of Catholics visit the Shrine every year to seek the spiritual consolation from Our Lady of Madhu and spend days in prayer and fasting. On going civil war between the Sri Lanka Army and the LTTE has prevented lakhs of Catholics visiting the Shrine for Prayers & Retreats.