Aldona: the Indian town with two cardinals at the conclave

In a town of just 8,000 inhabitants in the state of Goa lie the roots of both the Indian Filipe Neri Ferrão and the Pakistani Joseph Coutts, who from this afternoon are participating as electors in the selection of the new pontiff. A sign of the Church of the peripheries, but also of the vitality of a community founded four centuries ago by Portuguese Franciscans. And in these hours, it is also a symbol of the thirst for peace between the two countries now plunged into a new crisis over Kashmir.

Goa (AsiaNews) – Among the unique features of the Conclave opening today in the Sistine Chapel, there is one that few have noticed: among the electors who will choose the new pontiff, two have roots in the same place—a small Indian town of just 8,000 inhabitants.

Both Indian Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa, and Pakistani Cardinal Joseph Coutts, Archbishop Emeritus of Karachi, originate from Aldona, a distinctive locality set in the lush northern landscape of the small state of Goa, the heart of Indian Catholicism. A place that, in some ways, symbolizes the shifting center of gravity of the Church.

This shared origin of two cardinals who today live in countries like India and Pakistan takes on particular meaning especially in light of the dramatic news of recent hours, with Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian army in retaliation for a terrorist attack a few days ago in Pakistan. This gives even more weight to the appeal for peace currently coming from the Churches of both countries.

Cardinal Ferrão was born in Aldona in 1953 and grew up there: his family still lives in a house in the Santerxette neighborhood. Cardinal Coutts, on the other hand, was born in Amritsar in 1945, but his father was originally from Aldona and moved to Karachi for his work at Imperial Chemical Industries.

Bishop first in Hyderabad, then in Faisalabad, and finally in Karachi, he has always maintained a strong connection with Goa, to the extent that in 2000 he was invited to preside over the celebration in which Saint Joseph Vaz was proclaimed patron of the archdiocese.

The entire state of Goa has long been a cradle of bishops and cardinals: there are about 60 who were born here and have carried out their ministry in India, Pakistan, or even as missionaries in Africa.

But Aldona stands out for being the birthplace of at least six prelates, including Coutts and Ferrão, as well as the Archbishop Emeritus of Karachi, Mons. Evarist Pinto, and the Archbishop of New Delhi, Mons. Anil Couto—who is in fact a cousin of Cardinal Coutts.

Goa was ruled by the Portuguese for 450 years, with a history comparable to that of British India. But their rule was accompanied by a missionary mandate, with the presence of Franciscan, Dominican, Jesuit, and Augustinian religious orders. It is no coincidence that Goa was the departure base for the journeys of Saint Francis Xavier, who is buried there.

Following in his footsteps, many other missionaries also left this Indian city to bring the Gospel to far-off lands such as South Africa, Japan, and China. As Fr. Joaquim Loiola Pereira explained in an interview with Catholic News Service (CNS), Goa’s abundant priestly vocations are partly due to the regional custom of "traditionally offering one child to God."

Within this context is also found the story of the village of Aldona, which has the Church of Saint Thomas at its center. The Franciscans began their mission there by building a chapel in Coimavaddo in 1569.

The missionaries made great efforts to study the local language and succeeded in their apostolate: thanks to their dedication and the enthusiasm of the people of Aldona, Christianity flourished quickly, and by 1596, a larger and more central church was built at its current site. In 1720, according to Aldona’s then-rector Ignacio de Madre de Deus, there were 3,377 Catholics in the parish. That vitality continues today with a wide array of pastoral initiatives in youth education, charity, and spiritual life centered around the Church of Saint Thomas.

In 1996, the fourth centenary of the Church of Saint Thomas was celebrated with a solemn concelebration in which—alongside then-Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Mons. Raul Gonsalves—participated the then-Bishop of Hyderabad, Mons. Joseph Coutts; the then-Auxiliary Bishop of Goa, Mons. Filipe Neri Ferrão; and the then-Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai, Mons. Ferdinand Fonseca (now deceased), all of whom are originally from this community.