A battle of the minorities is playing out in Goa, with the Roman Catholic Church in Goa, which is the spiritual and religious guide to more than a quarter of the State's population, reprimanding 'errant' lay Catholic leaders of trying to wrongfully oppose a burial ground for Muslim in Goa, who are a comparatively smaller minority.
More than a week after non-clergy Catholic leaders publicly “humiliated” two priests appointed by the Goa Church to resolve the Catholic versus Muslim conundrum over a proposed cemetery for Muslim in Sonsoddo village, near the South Goa town of Margao, the Goa Archbishop in a statement issued here has said that Catholics opposing the cemetery, should be more humane and has reprimanded those critical of the project.
“Burial with dignity is the last rite conducted on a person who has passed from this life into eternity. This obliges the Catholic faithful to be respectful of similar duties performed by people of other faiths and therefore not to interfere with their legitimate endeavours in this direction,” a statement issued by Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media, Archdiocese of Goa and Daman on behalf of Fr Filipe Neri Ferrao.
The communication by the Goa Church, who Goa's Catholics — who account for 26 per cent of the state's population — look up to for religious and spiritual guidance, also reminded Goa's Catholics to remember the teachings of Pope Francis, who has called for active collaboration and peaceful coexistence between people of different religious traditions.
“For the Church, the question of the Kabrastan is also one that touches deeply the dignity of the human. To bury the dead with the dignity they deserve is a sacred duty that the Catholic Church deems as one of the essential works of mercy. It is the last rite conducted on a person who has passed from this life into eternity,” the statement says.
“This obliges the Catholic faithful to be respectful of similar duties performed by people of other faiths and therefore not to interfere with their legitimate endeavours in this direction,” it adds.
Muslims in South Goa district have been demanding a burial ground for its dead, with the existing kabrastan near Margao town, located 35 km from Panaji, already full to capacity. Muslims account for nearly 7 per cent of the State's population.
A section of the Catholic population in South Goa have now opposed the proposed burial ground site at Sonsoddo village and lay leaders from the community have been heckled priests who were trying to examine the issue. The video of the priests being heckled by members of the Catholic community opposing the setting up of a kabrastan went viral last week.
The Church has now said that the priests, Fr Maverick Fernandes, who heads the social initiatives of the Church and Fr Freddy Braganca were unfairly humiliated with foul language.
“The leaders also tried to incite the crowd and join them in their reprehensible behaviour. After many attempts to patiently explain the need for their presence, the priests left the area in the hope that the tensions would die down,” the statement said.