PANAJI
A proposal for a dedicated 'app' to enable devotees to pre-book a time slot for veneration of the relics of St Francis Xavier during the decennial Exposition slated to begin from November 21 has been shot down after serious reservations expressed by representatives of Goa's Catholic Church that it could potentially blemish the "spirit of pilgrimage" of the devotees.
"Yes. There was a proposal to have the app where people could do online booking for veneration. But we thought not to go for it. People come to pay their respects. To honour. To venerate. That is why we thought booking online may affect that spirit of pilgrimage," said Fr Henry Falcao, convenor of the Exposition Committee of the Goa Archdiocese.
The Exposition, which is held once every ten years is this year expected to draw at least eight million devotees to venerate the relics of the sixteenth century Spanish saint, whose mortal remains are kept in a glass casket at the Basilica of Bom Jesus at Old Goa.
"The eight million estimate is a calculated guess. It could be less or more. But we have to be prepared," Falcao said.
Elaborating on the reasoning to drop the idea of having the pre-booking app, Falcao said thought had to be given to the people who may not pre-book using the app and wait in the queue for their turn to venerate the saint's relics in the spirit of penance.
"Having two parallel lines, for those who book online, for those who don't book online will spoil the entire spirit of the Exposition. That's why there is no app," Falcao said.
However an app of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), called the 'Catholic Connect' will be available to access online whatever information that may be needed related to the Exposition, Falcao added.
Meanwhile, the Church has planned an art exhibition themed on the life of St Francis Xavier for the duration of the Exposition.
Falcao said, some 70-odd Goan artists will put the exhibition together, most of them younger emerging ones.
