20 Aug 2022  |   04:59am IST

From a miracle to Cardinal: Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrâo

As Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrâo embarks on his transit journey from Belgium, Germany enroute to Rome for his consistory as Cardinal tomorrow, I thought it prudent to profile his journey from birth to priesthood from a historical perspective. It was the Moira connect, being a grandson of Moira and his maternal connections with me that prodded me to research on him with valuable inputs from his family members as well as my personal initiatives towards the great honour of being the first ‘Cardinal Elect’ of Archdiocese of Goa

Dr Caetano Francisco Raposo

Filipe 

Neri Antônio Sebastiâo Do Rosario Ferrâo was born on January 20, 1953, at Dr Olavo Ribeiro Maternity in Mapusa. Son born to Agostinho Lourenco Tome Ferrâo from Aldona and Maria Palmira Eugenia Gertrudes da Concecâo Nazare from Moira, he was the youngest of the three siblings, with his elder brother Octaviano married to Maria Isabel Meneses and only sister Maria Amelia married to Louis (Loui) Rapose in Assagao. He was baptized at Immaculate Conception Church, Moira, on January 28, 1953 by the then Parish Priest Fr Alexio Quadros. His godparents were his uncle and aunt, Dr Silvestre Gonzaga Da Conceicâo Nazare and Belmira Da Conceicâo Nazare E Rocha. Dr Silvestre was a molecular scientist and served at topmost universities in Germany and USA, having a close rapport even with former Chancellors of Germany, Helment Kohl and Anjela Merkel, to carry forward their Molecular Research.

Filipe Neri did his primary school studies at the Primary Government School (Primeiro Segundrao) in Aldona. He was administered the Sacrament of Communion by then Parish Priest of Aldona, Fr Juliao Carrasco, at Sao Tome Church in Aldona. He then joined the Minor Seminary at Saligao in 1963, in the original batch of four others being, Fr Walter D’Sa, Fr Jose Menino Rodrigues and Fr Tomas Da Aquino Sequeira. There were others also who could not fulfill the call to the vineyard. He received the Sacrament of Confirmation during this time at Saligao Seminary and as per the Baptismal Register records in the archives maintained in Moira Church he received Confirmation on August 15, 1966.

After his basic initial studies at Saligao Seminary, he proceeded to further pursue his priestly mission at the Major Seminary in Rachol in June, 1969. Along with his other batch mates who entered Rachol were Fr Caetano Cardozo, Fr Lino D’Sa, Fr Walter D’Sa, Fr Gual Berto De Souza, Fr Diogo Fernandes, Fr Agnelo Quadros, Fr Albino Mendonsa and Fr Jose Menino Rodrigues.

His stint at Rachol Seminary was cut short within four months of joining Rachol Seminary, as he was taken ill with a serious cerebral fever. There were some play practices going on at Rachol Seminary guided by Fr Walter Mathias (SJ) who found ‘Ferrao’ missing during day time and questioned “where is Ferrao gone?” Further on, he was not present for the rosary in the late evening which prompted Monsignor Carmo Da Silva to find out about his whereabouts. He was found lying on the bed in the ‘Camarata’ (dormitory) in the precincts of Rachol Seminary burning with high fever. He was for a brief period kept in ‘Enfremaria,’ a place in Rachol Seminary where any sick or unwell seminarian was given solace. Professor Fr Aqueles De Souza at Rachol Seminary called in Dr Fernando Do Menezes who was a medical practitioner at Raia and visited patients at Rachol. Dr Fernando found him in a grave situation. At that point of time, there was a strike of taxi operators in Goa; and the other way round bridge had collapsed. Rachol Seminary probably then did not have a private vehicle on their own, to transport him to hospital.

Fellow seminarian Peter Paul at Rachol Seminary from Corjuem, Aldona, came to convey the message of his illness at his ancestral grandmother’s house in Attafondem, Moira, where his uncle Antoninho and aunts were there along with his grandmother. His brother Octavian was in Kanpur on his pharmaceutical assignment and sister Maria Amelia in Bombay. In those days, no telephone facilities were in existence.

Filipe Neri’s uncle Antonio Nazare walked to his sister’s place Gertrudes Da Gama Pais to look out for a car as Dr Caetano Da Gama Pais, husband of Gertrudes had a car but was at that time posted as a Government Health Official at Dodamarg. Car was there but there was no driver, he then went walking to Nachinola and found a driver who drove Dr Pais’s car, went to Dodamarg, picked up Dr Pais and proceeded to Rachol Seminary to get Filipe Neri home. By then, he had been admitted to Hospicio Hospital De Sagrado Coracao De Maria in Margao. At Hospicio, Dr Fondekar was found treating him. Dr Pais did not identify who he was and found that he was wrongly diagnosed for “Eclamcia” (luth), which is a women’s treatment during pregnancy. There was a clash of words between Dr Fondekar and Dr Pais when Dr Fondekar was questioned for wrong diagnosis, Dr Pais then told him that he too was also a doctor. Dr Fernando Menezes whispered to Dr Pais that we have to get him out from here or else he will die. An ambulance was arranged with the help of Dr Arcanje Menezes, who was the then Director of Hospicio and a colleague of Dr Pais and a close family friend.

It was at the instance of Dr Pais that he was brought to Asilo Hospital in Mapusa as he would be able to collaborate better as a Government doctor with Dr Gaitonde, Dr Costa, Dr Usgaonkar, who were then posted at Asilo hospital. Doctors were optimistic but yet reserved in their statements saying that even if he survives, he would not be a normal person as the cerebral fever had done extensive damage. Filipe Neri spent three months at Asilo Hospital, two months critical, battling for life. During this hospitalization and because of his critical state, he was given the Sacrament of Extremunction in 1969 by the then Parish Priest of Mapusa, Fr Alfredo Francisco Jose de Araujo. But by divine providence, Filipe Neri not only recovered but also went on to live in perfect health. This was the first miracle.

He came to his mother’s house in Moira and stayed for around two months before proceeding to Aldona. He took a break of two years at this point of time. And if I can quote Gertrudes Pais, his aunt, his grandmother questioned him whether he wants to become a “priest”, and he said yes but not at Rachol; as probably “Enfernmaria” was haunting him. He was firm in his resolve to become a priest, but “where” was the question mark. Bishop Fransisco Da Piedade Rebello ultimately let him go to Pune Papal Seminary for his priestly mission.

This I would say was a second miracle to happen with special permission being granted to him, and join his senior and his present secretary Fr Loyola Pereira, otherwise where would be the question of an auxiliary Bishop, to Archbishop to Cardinal.

Cardinal Filipe Neri’s legacy is deeply rooted with a huge priestly connect and which probably moulded his life to priesthood. His mother’s two brothers were priests, Fr Joao Batista Nazare and Fr Jose Paulo Nazare from Moira. His father’s two brothers were priests, Fr Alexandre Ferrâo and Fr Filipe Neri Ferrao from Aldona. His three grandfather’s brothers, Fr Ludovico, Fr Joao Lazaro, Fr Apolonario from Aldona were aso priests. His great grandfather’s brother from Moira, Fr Joao Paolo Nazare was a priest. With his joining the Papal seminary in Poona and as per the Baptismal records register in Moira Church and notings therein by then Parish Priest of Moira, Fr Cupertino Pereira, Filipe Neri was ordained “Deacon” in the chapel of the Papal Seminary at Poona on January 30, 1979.

Following his diaconate, he was ordained as a priest in his Aldona Sao Tome Church, on October 28, 1979, by Bishop Raul Gonsalves. He then proceeded to do his Pastoral Year studies in1980- 81 at Pastoral institute, where he joined Fr Mariano Goes Proenca, Fr Pascoal Afonso, Fr Cipriano da Silva, Fr Lenny Pegado, Fr Christin Fernandes, Fr.Simpliciano Fernandes, Fr Lino Desa and others . Further, he was posted in the parishes of Salvador do Mundo and Chinchinim. He was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Goa, at the age of 40 on December 20, 1993 and he was ordained Auxiliary Bishop and assigned the titular see Vanariona on April 10, 1994. He was elevated as the Archbishop Patriach of Goa and Daman on March 21, 2004. He was appointed as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Goa and Daman in November 2006 and Patriach “Ad Honorem” of the East Indies on December 12, 2003.

He held varied positions and worked in various capacities as Chairman of the western region committee for catechetics, Chairman of Federation of Asian Bishop’s Conferences (FABC) Office of Education and Faith Formation (OEFF). He served the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India (CBCI) and the Conference of Catholics Bishop’s of India (CCBI), of which he is the current President.

On May 29, 2022, was a glorious and momentous day for the Archdiocese of Goa, when Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiâo Do Rosario Ferrâo was named by Pope Francis as a Cardinal. On this day, after the conclusion of the Regina Coeli, Pope Francis stated that he will hold a consistory on August 27, 2022, for the creation of 21 new cardinals. The College of Cardinals currently has 208, including 117, who are electors and 91, non-electors. On August 27, the strength will go upto 229 cardinals, 131 of them being electors; who will be participating in the conclave that chooses the next pope which is not a distant possibility due to the prevailing health issues that Pope Francis is undergoing presently.

A cardinal works either in papal curia in Rome or at the levels of dioceses and archdioceses. I hope the cardinal in waiting is retained in Goa, or else if destined by God Almighty may be even the next Pope at the Vatican. Cardinal Filipe Neri is admired by bishops and archbishops across the country for his exemplary skills, dedicated hardwork and foresight in taking the role of the church forward across the country and was always a “Cardinal” in waiting which has become a reality today.

(The author is an Associate Professor in Department of Political Science at St Xavier’s College, Mapusa.)