Team Herald
PANJIM: Indirectly referring to the turmoil in the country, Archbishop of Goa and Daman Filipe Neri Ferrao on Friday said that any attack on India’s spirit can damage the century-old secular fabric of the country, causing disturbances that can mar the peace and the tranquility among its citizens.
Addressing the annual civic reception at Christmas, the Archbishop said that the Church in Goa will be always ready to extend intelligent collaboration to the government in building of a society that sincerely and genuinely promotes the integral development of the human persona in harmony.
“A simple gesture like the ‘Namaste’ places us in an attitude of self-giving, whereby we make ourselves into an offering to the other person. The unspoken message of this beautiful gesture is “I value you, I respect you, I belong to you.” And when this gesture is reciprocated by the other, a bridge is built, mutual respect and a sense of mutual belonging are created and, suddenly, one is led to recognize that all human beings, without any discrimination, originate in the same creator God and that we are all sparks of the divine,” he said.
“Let us remember that we greet each other with a ‘Namaste’ several times a day, not looking at whether the other belongs to our cultural, linguistic, ethnic or religious group. Anything that vitiates this genuinely Indian spirit can damage the centuries-old secular fabric of our nation and, sometimes, cause disturbances and flare-ups that can mar the peace and the tranquility among its citizens,” the Archbishop added.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Minister Michael Lobo, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, MP Francisco Sardinha, MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Rohan Khaunte, Tony Fernandes, Francis Silveira, Luizinho Faleiro, were amongst those present for the reception.
Archbishop further said that behind the different religious traditions that we follow, there lies at the core of our human existence, a spirit that unites us and impels us to love, respect and serve one another, across all man-made barriers. “This spirit is ingrained in us, sons and daughters of our great India and is profoundly reflected in our Constitution. We Indians readily find God in others,” he said.
He said that the theme of the current Pastoral Year, calls us to do what Christ did, that is, to have compassion for others, especially the suffering and those who are victims of discrimination, oppression and exploitation.
“The Church in Goa has been living this divine call for compassion without discrimination and thereby contributing to the genuine development of this State, through its widespread network of educational, healthcare and social service institutions as well as through the social and developmental action of various associations and movements of its members, particularly in rural and underserved areas,” he added.
“The Church in Goa will be always ready to extend an intelligent collaboration to the Government in the building of a society that sincerely and genuinely promotes the integral development of the human person in harmony with the environment and where the underprivileged will be treated with the compassion and the respect they have a right to,” the Archbishop added.
