FRIDAY, MAY 03, 2024
Team Herald
VASCO: Parishioners of Sancoale, along with the parish priest on Saturday met sarpanch Ramakant Borkar and Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha and submitted a memorandum urging them to take cognisance of a religious ritual and ceremony allegedly performed by the members of another religion at the frontispiece of the old church in the village.
The above development comes four days after Verna Police failed to register a FIR based on the complaint by the Sancoale parish priest against some 25-odd individuals who allegedly performed rituals and a ceremony of another religion at the frontispiece.
On Saturday afternoon, the parishioners along with the parish priest met Borkar and Saldanha and explained to them that the incident has shocked them.
Locals told the MLA that for ages people in Sancoale from different communities are living in harmony. There is a sense of brotherhood and goodwill among the people, but pointed out that a few persons in the village and some outsiders are trying to create tension among the peaceful people of Sancoale and this needs to be stopped by the police by registering an FIR against those who allegedly trespassed into the church property.
The MLA condemned the actions of those people who tried to create tensions by performing religious rituals of another belief at church frontispiece. She assured the parishioners to fix an appointment with the Mormugao Deputy Collector on Monday and also contacted the Verna PI and requested him to register an FIR.
The Sancoale parish priest in his complaint letter had stated, “In the property bearing Survey No. 266/2 of the village of Sancoale there exists a frontispiece of old church. The said property is lawfully and peacefully owned, possessed and enjoyed by the ‘Fabrica of Church of Sancoale’. Enclosed hereto is a copy of the Form I and IV. The frontispiece which is situated in the said property has been declared as a ‘Protected Monument’ by the Directorate of Archives & Archaeology, Government of Goa with ownership status as ‘Private’ belonging to the Church of Sancoale.”
“The Archdiocese of Goa has been celebrating the annual novena and feast of St Joseph Vaz, near the frontispiece. There also exists a Chapel of Our Lady of Health in the said property wherein Catholic religious ceremonies like the holy mass, litanies and rosaries take place on a regular basis. ‘Walking Pilgrimage or Bhavartachi Yatra’ is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by thousands of faithful from all over Goa and beyond in the Lenten season of the Catholic calendar, to the frontispiece of the old church of Sancoale,” the letter stated
The parish priest further mentioned that on December 30, 2020 at around 16.15pm, the moderator of the Parish Council, who is entrusted with the overall supervision of the gardening works at frontispiece, received a call on his mobile phone from the gardener who was working in the property. The gardener, who sounded panicky, requested the moderator to immediately come to the site stating that there was a commotion, he said.
The moderator immediately informed the parish priest and he then called the Verna Police. On reaching at the site, the parish priest and locals saw that some 25-odd people of another community had reportedly trespassed into the church property and were conducting religious rituals, ceremonies of another religion touching the frontispiece, the complaint stated.
The parish priest further in his complaint stated that the moderator and priest along with the people gathered, objected to the rituals stating that they had trespassed into private property. To this, these persons stated that there existed a religious structure prior to the Church and hence they had a right to perform their religious ceremonies. They also stated that their goddess had appeared in their dreams and asked them to perform their rituals in the above mentioned property.
The parish priest in his complaint letter has attached a pen drive and Form 1 & 14. In his complaint letter, the police have been requested to take immediate cognisance of the offences and take immediate steps to register a complaint as a FIR and thereafter investigate the same under chapter XII of the code of CrPC 1973, so as to stop any further damage and communal violence to the Catholic community at large.
However, four days later, the police have not registered an FIR and have failed to give due consideration to the parish priest’s complaint letter.
South Goa Superintendant of Police Pankaj Singh said that they are yet to register an FIR and are inquiring into the matter.
Verna PI Sheriff Jaques said that action on the complaint has been taken and the verification of documents is in progress.
