OLD GOA
Sending out a strong message to authorities, Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao has urged authorities to refrain from promoting illegalities in heritages sites.
The archbishop made the statement while proposing the vote of thanks at the Feast Mass of St Francis Xavier in Old Goa on Friday.
“Old Goa is recognised by the ASI as well as UNESCO as a world heritage site. We should know that any undue or offensive interventions even by legitimate stakeholders in and around these monuments can have grave consequences and even attract de-recognition of the world heritage status, which would be a tremendous and severe loss to Goa,” Archbishop Ferrao.
Archbishop Ferrao further expressed the Church’s solidarity to those who are holding protests for the past many days to protect the heritage of Old Goa.
“I would like to express the solidarity of the Church in Goa with several brothers and sisters of different faiths who have been undertaking various demonstrations for many days now in protest against some obnoxious activities in this heritage site,” said Archbishop Ferrao and appealed to authorities concerned not to promote illegal activities in heritage sites of Old Goa.
“I strongly appeal to all those in authority to refrain from any acts and decisions which are illegal and detrimental to the preservation of religious and heritage sanctity of Old Goa,” he said.
Earlier, Bishop Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias, who was the main celebrant at the Feast Mass, said the Catholic church exists only to evangelise.
“Unfortunately, there are many people who do not understand the meaning of evangelisation. They think of conversion, but conversion is the one undergone by St Francis Xavier when he converted his life from a sinful one to a holy one,” Bishop Dias said.
“The Catholic church is involved in all kinds of ministries like educational, medical, social work, etc. and the sole purpose is to evangelise which means proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ,” he stated.
While stating that the Constitution of India is one of the best in the world, Dias urged the people of different faiths to live as children of one God.
Other concelebrants at the Feast Mass included Bishop Alwyn Barretto of Sindhudurg, Vicar General Fr Jose Remedios Fernandes, Bom Jesus Basilica Rector Fr Patricio Fernandes and Se Cathedral Parish Priest Fr Rosario Oliveira.
Among the politicians present at the Feast Mass included Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo, PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha, Mapusa MLA Joshua de Souza, St Andre MLA Francis Silveira, Curtorim MLA Alex Reginaldo Lourenco, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai, Aldona MLA Glen Ticlo, Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao and Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro.
