04 Dec 2020  |   05:37am IST

Raise voice against projects that harm environment: Archbishop

Rev Ferrao says the earth is our common home and it is our responsibility to protect it

Team Herald

PANJIM: Terming ‘projects’ that harm the environment, that are against the interest of people and can leave the planet endangered as ‘evils’, Archbishop of Goa Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao, on Thursday, appealed to the people to raise their voices against such development and not to act as if “we do not care”.

Delivering the homily at the feast of St Francis Xavier, popularly known as ‘Goencho Saib’, the Archbishop said that as disciples of Jesus Christ and devotees of St Francis Xavier, who raised his voice against “evils” of the society of his time, it is our bounden duty to stand for the values of our gospels. “Wherever they are promoted to support them…. whenever they are endangered to raise our prophetic voice against them,” he said.

“When we see there are situations, where the good of the planet is endangered, where the interest of the poor is not taken care of, when the environment is likely to be polluted, when inter-generational equity is not being enhanced and preserved, then it is our responsibility as disciples of Jesus to raise our prophetic voice,” he added.

“We cannot say we do not care,” the Archbishop stressed. “The earth is our common home and it is our responsibility to protect it,” he added.

The Archbishop’s appeal comes at time when thousands of people across Goa are on a mission to “Save Mollem” from destruction in the light of three linear projects – doubling of railway line, national highway expansion and power transmission line – that have been proposed in the protected areas of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.

In his address to the people, the Archbishop also urged everyone to reach out to the poor and needy, who are suffering due to the pandemic.

The Archbishop maintained that there are many poor people, especially during the current COVID times. “So many of our brothers and sisters are facing difficulties…some are sick…some have lost jobs…their families are experiencing poverty, it is our responsibility to reach out to them,” he appealed.