Sri Lanka ex-warzone church prepares for first papal tour

MADHU, Sri Lanka: A small church nestled in a Sri Lankan wildlife reserve was on the frontline of the island's decades-long civil war, but is now preparing for the first ever papal visit seen as a beacon of harmony.

The Our Lady of Madhu church is a pilgrimage destination in the island's north for Catholics from both the Tamil and the majority Sinhalese communities, making it a rare symbol of reconciliation in a country riven by ethnic and religious divisions.

Emilianuspillai Santhiapillai, the church's administrator, expects at least half a million people to attend on Wednesday (Jan 14) when Pope Francis will fly in by helicopter for a religious service.

The first papal visit to the island in two decades comes after the surprise ousting of former president Mahinda Rajapakse, who oversaw the army's violent suppression of the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 and faced criticism for failing to bring about post-war reconciliation.

The pope is expected to bring a message of ethnic and religious harmony - an idea that chimes with the hopes resting on Sri Lanka's new President Maithripala Sirisena, who enjoyed strong electoral support among Tamils and other minorities.

"We needed change," said 51-year-old construction engineer Palitha Rodrigo, a Sinhalese Catholic who travelled 300kmfrom Colombo to attend mass at the church. "He (Rajapakse) could have done more things for the Tamils. We don't want to have fighting in Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka is a majority-Buddhist country, but it has a sizeable Catholic minority, accounting for around six per cent of its 20 million people. Hindus represent around 13 percent and are mostly Tamil.

Pilgrims flock to the church to pay homage to a 450-year-old statue of the Virgin Mary that also attracts visitors of other faiths who believe it has miraculous powers - including protection from the poisonous snakes that inhabit the jungle.

"This is a holy shrine for all people in Sri Lanka, there is no religious difference shown," Santhiapillai told AFP in Madhu. "Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims all come here for the harmonious and peaceful atmosphere."

'TREMENDOUS CHANGE'

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Sri Lanka ex-warzone church prepares for first papal tour