However, no official statement from Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Election Commission’s decision to hold Lok Sabha polls in Goa on April 17 has triggered an outrage in minority-dominated Salcete, with the clergy joining the common man in denouncing ECI’s move to hold the ensuing parliamentary election on Maundy Thursday.
Episcopal Vicar South Fr Lucio Dias said the Election Commission’s decision to hold the Lok Sabha polls on April 17 is not a right one. “This will come in the way of the Catholics from attending religious services on Maundy Thursday”, he said.
Saying that he would take up the matter with the Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao, Fr Lucio said that the Church in Goa is exploring ways to seek the intervention of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India to take up the issue with ECI. “The poll date does not only affect the Catholics in Goa, but elsewhere across the country, including states in the North East which go to the polls on April 17”, Fr Dias said.
Fr Victor Ferrao of the Rachol seminary said that people should not only enjoy the right to vote, which is a fundamental right, but also freedom of religious worship. The decision is to deter the Catholic community from exercising their fundamental right to vote, Fr Ferrao said, while appealing to the government to take up the matter with ECI.
“Maundy Thursday is a very important day in the life of a Christian. He has to be in the Church for the religious service. Catholics, who are government employees, will be posted for poll duties, denying them the freedom to attend the Church services on that day”, Fr Ferrao said.
Fr Eremito Rebello slammed the Election Commission’s decision and called for a re-scheduling of the election date. “If the election date is not revised keeping into account the religious sentiments of the Catholic community, people will be forced to think whether the Election Commission has been influenced by the communal forces to keep the away the Catholics from exercising their fundamental right to vote”, asserted Fr Eremito.
Colva Parish Priest Fr Joseph Silva said it is strange that people will have to go for voting on a special day such as Maundy Thursday. “Maundy Thursday is a very holy day for the Catholics. Voting on that day will spoil the reverence of the day. It will certainly hurt the feelings and sentiments of the people”, Fr Silva said.
