Archbishop of Goa condemns desecration of Religious symbols, urges Govt to restore people's confidence

(March,17,2006) Condemning the spate of violence targeting the places and symbols of worship belonging to the minority communities, Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa and Daman , has urged the government of Goa to take prompt and effective steps and thereby restore the confidence of the people. In a statement released to the Press on Thursday, March 16, the Archbishop said :
“ One more cross has been vandalized in Comba, Margao, one more symbol of Christian faith desecrated, and the spate of violence targeting the places and symbols of worship belonging to the minority communities seems to go unabated. We are indeed deeply pained with this disturbing trend. In these circumstances, our heart reaches out first to our Christian brethren in their grief in a spirit of genuine solidarity. We appeal to everyone, specially the Christians, to remain calm and not to let themselves be provoked by such violent acts. In the footsteps of our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, we, Christians, are expected to be promoters of peace and harmony and, inspired by His supreme sacrifice on the Cross, be witnesses of love and reconciliation.” The prelate’s statement expressed appreciation for the solidarity shown by the people of other faiths in rebuilding the vandalized cross and thus in restoring, to a certain extent, a sense of security in the aggrieved Christian community of the locality. Stating that inspite of repeated requests and appeals to the concerned authorities, there seemed to be certain indifference in tackling the matter and nabbing the culprits, the Archbishop urged the Civil Authorities to take prompt and effective steps and thereby restore the confidence of the people.