Former Roman Catholic Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph has passed away at the age of 80.
He had been receiving treatment at a private hospital in Jaffna at the time of his passing.
Rev. Joseph was born on the 16th of April 1940 on the northern island Neduntheevu – also known as Delft.
He was educated at St. Patrick’s College in Jaffna and St. Joseph’s College in Anuradhapura. Following his entry to the priesthood, he was enrolled at St. Martin’s Seminary in Jaffna and later at the National Seminary in Ampitiya.
In December 1967, he was ordained as a priest and later obtained a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urbaninana University in Rome.
Rev. Rayappu Joseph was ordained as a bishop and appointed as the Bishop of Mannar diocese in 1992.
He was known for his vocal opinions on the now-defunct separatist organization LTTE and the civil war.
