LTTE holds catholic priests, nuns

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

Appeals have been made to the LTTE to allow a group of 29 Catholic priests and 35 nuns, belonging to the Catholic dioceses of Jaffna and Mannar to cross over to liberated areas to ensure their safety, according to sources close to the Catholic church. They said that some of the priests and nuns, who are trapped in the LTTE dominated area, have now started moving to a new location, Memathalan, in the East end of Mullaitivu for their safety.

According to informed sources, the priests and nuns belonging to four districts - Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi are still with the displaced people. Sources confirmed that the LTTE had set up their artillery and mortar guns pointing at state declared safe zones and are attacking the military.

As the last alternative the civilians are now moving towards Memathalan passing Puthukkudirippu. According to sources, there are six priests and 10 nuns from Mannar and Vavuniya dioceses and 23 priests and 15 nuns from Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi dioceses stranded.

They said that the civilians and the Catholic clergy had built temporary bunkers for their safety and according to a young priest who came to the liberated areas with patients, the LTTE had stopped treating the wounded civilians.

A group of 10 priests now trapped in Suthandrapuram had requested the Catholic Church in Mannar yesterday to take immediate action to evacuate them and the civilians as the situation was becoming dangerous for them. The sources said that there were over 50,000 IDPs in Suthandrapuram and the LTTE had prevented them from fleeing to liberated areas. When contacted the authorities at the Mannar diocese said that praying for the safety of the priests, nuns and civilians under the LTTE control, a special prayer service - Eucharistic adoration is being carried out from last Thursday to next Tuesday at the St. Sebastian Church. The Bishop and priests from Mannar and Vavuniya are participating in this prayer service. A one-day fast will also be held and over 5,000 people are expected for the mass.