Church would be happy to collaborate in promoting peace, justice: Archbishop

PANJIM, DEC 29
Archbishop-Patriarch Filipe Neri Ferrao on Wednesday said the Church in Goa would be happy to collaborate in the building of a society that promotes dignity of the human person, religious freedom and cultural harmony as well as peace and justice for everyone.
He was delivering his address at the annual civic reception at the Archbishop’s House on the occasion of Christmas.
Those present on the occasion included Governor Shivinder Singh Sidhu, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, ministers and MLAs, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, Archbishop Raul Gonsalves, members of the judiciary, central and state administration,defence personnel, consular authorities, church leaders and superiors of religious congregations.
“Whenever Catholics gather for their Sunday Mass, they pray specifically for those who govern our land and state as well as for all those who, in some way or the other, share in that responsibility, in a greater or lesser degree. I pledge the continued support of our prayer for each one of you,” said Archbishop Ferrao.
“The Church in Goa will be only too glad to offer her collaboration in the building of a society that sincerely and genuinely promotes the dignity of the human person, religious freedom and cultural harmony as well as peace and justice for everyone,” he said.
Commenting on the essence of Christmas, Archbishop Ferrao said it can never be a purely cultural or social event.
“Christmas is fundamentally a Christ-related event. It is an event which has marked profoundly the course of our human history and has brought about a growing realization of the need to promote the oneness of humankind.”
Archbishop Ferrao claimed that there are “vast opportunities for people to sit at a common table and discuss matters of common interest, which work for the common welfare of the human community.”
“Unfortunately, these very structures of participation run the risk of becoming tools in the hands of a few to wield their power over the community of nations and of national and state communities, instead of being genuine community empowering instruments.”
“They then become institutions that ignore and silence minorities and invest power and legitimacy on a few who dictate terms of governance, sometimes to the point of unsettling the very process of participation. The growing number of communal riots and pogroms, mostly politically motivated, is only one aspect of this sad deterioration of cherished human and democratic values,” said the archbishop.
Speaking on the issue of religious freedom, Archbishop Ferrao said the Church teaches that the right to religious freedom is rooted in the very dignity of the human person.
“However, in spite of its high ideals, hailed also by the great religions of our land, religious freedom has become very brittle nowadays.”
“Both in our country and in our own state, meetings and even large conventions take place sometimes with the sole aim of disturbing the inter-religious peace and harmony existing amidst our citizens.”
“It is as if some people will not be at peace until peace is disturbed. Can we, responsible citizens, and particularly those entrusted with governance, allow that such programmes are executed, in blatant defiance to the spirit of our Constitution,” asked Archbishop Ferrao.
The archbishop also quoted from Pope Benedict’s message to convey that the world has been witnessing cases of persecution, discrimination, acts of violence and intolerance based on religion.
Archbishop Ferrao recalled Pope Benedict’s Message for the World Day of Peace: “We must bear in mind that minorities do not represent a threat to the identity of the majority, but rather an opportunity for dialogue and mutual cultural enrichment.”
“Defending minorities is the ideal way to consolidate the spirit of good will, openness and reciprocity which can ensure the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in all areas and regions of the world.”
Earlier, the programme began with a prayer dance and reading of the Gospel. After the archbishop’s address, carols were sung by the Rachol Seminary choir, conducted by Fr Romeo Monteiro.