Politicians like to be given preferential treatment on every occasion. It was no different at the opening ceremony of the XVII Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier, where politicians of all hues and colours – including ministers – managed to get into the Se Cathedral.
Politicians, including former MLA Churchill Alemao, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, Velim MLA Benjamin Silva, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, Environment Minister Alina Saldanha, Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardesai, Santa Cruz MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Quepem MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar ensured that the Cathedral door was opened and they be allowed in much to the vociferously voiced irritation from the thousands waiting patiently in the hot sun to pay their respects to the saint.But, to no avail, as the politicians had the last laugh, as the Cathedral doors opened and , leaving the people baffled that politicians have such a hold even at purely religious events.In fact, in sharp contrast, many nuns who wanted to enter the Cathedral were asked by the police to wait in a queue at the side entrance, among the multitude.
A devotee Cedric da Costa criticized the decision of the church authorities to give preferential treatment to politicians. “It is surprising that the politicians are being treated like Gods,” he lamented.
Among the many political leaders attending the Pontifical Mass were Governor Mridula Sinha, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, MLAs Carlos Almeida, Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, Benjamin Silva, Chandrakant Kavlekar and acting chief secretary R K Srivastava.
