Goa (AsiaNews) "Let Saint Francis Xavier be an example of dedication and openness to others", said Mgr Felipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies, as he greeted the decennial exposition of the relics of Saint Francis Xavier, inaugurated on November 21 and scheduled to run till January 2 in the Archdiocese of Goa.
"We are living in a time of globalisation and liberal thinking", the Bishop said, "and the numbers of the marginalized and the poor are ever on the increase. Despite the tremendous progress that surrounds us, this makes our situation not much different from the one Francis Xavier encountered in his time. This should lead us to social action in the manner of Francis, [. . .] to a commitment to [. . .] all men and women in candid openness".
The Archbishop told AsiaNews that "Old Goa at the time of Saint Francis Xavier "was a rich cosmopolitan city, with peoples from all over the world doing trade and commerce, but also rife with scandals, licentiousness and a weak faith".
The theme of this year's exposition is 'As fellow pilgrims nourished by the Eucharist sent to build communion'. Archbishop Neri urged the faithful (about 3 million pilgrims are expected) to answer the call to holiness, "to pursue [. . .] the fullness of Christian life and [. . .] thus contribute to a genuine revitalisation of our ecclesial community in this Archdiocese."
Father Loyola, Secretary of Archbishop of Goa and Daman, said that the goal of the event was to "re-evangelise" and revive the faith of the clergy and laity.
Goa's government is helping the exposition. "The Police Department has deployed additional constabulary to ensure law and order," Father Loyola said. "The Fire Brigade has set up additional stations all around the area to prevent or control any untoward incident taking place." Public transit has been beefed up to "facilitate pilgrims reaching the Bom Jesus Basilica".
The feast day of Saint Francis Xavier falls on Friday, December 3. On Sunday November 21, the exposition's inaugural day, the Papal Nuncio was the main celebrant of the Eucharist. Afterwards the relics of the saint, which are kept in a silver casket with a glass window inside the Basilica, were carried in a procession through the streets of the city.
There are several cultural events associated with the exposition, among them the theatrical release of Grace, Guts and Glory, the first full-length film on the life and times of the saint produced for the occasion.
Saint Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest, is known as the Apostle of the Indies and the Patron of Foreign Missions and the Orient. Catholics from Goa venerate the Saint as 'Goencho Sahib', the 'Lord of Goans'.