Colombo (AsiaNews) - The attack on the shrine of Saint Anthony, in the area of Mannar, in which six soldiers died and the building was seriously damaged, has been reported on poorly by the Sri Lanka media, and today the officials of the diocese are providing their version of the bombing of the building by Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels. The attack, which took place on February 12, killed six Sri Lanka and soldiers and wounded ten. The entryway of the church suffered serious damage.
Newspapers in the country have reported that the victims were at the shrine to respond to the request from the Catholic community for a security detail (sharamadana) at the religious building. This is alleged to have given the LTTE the opportunity to attack the soldiers.
In their statement, the bishop of Mannar, Joseph Rayappu, and the pastor of the cathedral of St Sebastian, Fr S.K. Devarajah, clarify instead that the army had occupied the shrine building on its own initiative, and that they had made no request for help.
The shrine is "very dear to both Catholics and non-Catholics", as some inhabitants explain. But since September of 2007, the faithful have stayed away from it because of the escalation of conflicts in the zone. Last February 11, however, Fr Devarajah visited the shrine with the permission of the military authorities, in order to try to organise a Lenten pilgrimage. That day, the priest spoke with some of the security forces, explaining his plan to them and asking them how it could be carried out. But "we never requested 'shramadhana' or any other help from them", the priest explains.
The statement from the bishop and Fr Devarajah asks the local media to correct the articles that have appeared on these events, and expresses the condolences of the diocese for the family members of the soldiers killed in the attack.