Pope Francis to visit Madhu shrine
By Ananth Palakidnar-August 18, 2014
The Catholic Bishop of Mannar,
Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, said Pope Francis would visit the Madhu shrine during his January visit and bless the war victims at a special mass at the shrine.
Bishop Joseph along with Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Friday blessed thousands of pilgrims who gathered from various parts of the island for the August festival at the Madhu shrine. It was the first time the arrival of the Pontiff was officially announced.
During his address, Bishop Joseph said Pope Francis will arrive in Colombo on 13 January 2015 and would travel to the Madhu shrine the next day.
"Pope Francis will be the first Pontiff to travel out of Colombo whereas other Pontiffs confined themselves only to Colombo when they visited Sri Lanka in the past. The Pontiff is expected to closely interact with the war widows, disabled persons and orphans," Bishop Joseph said.
By Ananth Palakidnar-August 18, 2014
The Catholic Bishop of Mannar,
Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, said Pope Francis would visit the Madhu shrine during his January visit and bless the war victims at a special mass at the shrine.
Bishop Joseph along with Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Friday blessed thousands of pilgrims who gathered from various parts of the island for the August festival at the Madhu shrine. It was the first time the arrival of the Pontiff was officially announced.
During his address, Bishop Joseph said Pope Francis will arrive in Colombo on 13 January 2015 and would travel to the Madhu shrine the next day.
"Pope Francis will be the first Pontiff to travel out of Colombo whereas other Pontiffs confined themselves only to Colombo when they visited Sri Lanka in the past. The Pontiff is expected to closely interact with the war widows, disabled persons and orphans," Bishop Joseph said.
