On 3rd of this of this month I went to Old Goa for the Feast of Goencho Saib and attended the Mass at 5.00 pm. After the Mass I went around to see how things are working there. I was very much surprised to see with my own eyes how some of the anti-Christians are selling their goods by invoking the name of Goencho Saib. One of them was telling “Baba Chonne Gheiat, Goencho Saib tumkam borem magtolo, etc”. However this same man a non-Christian was acting like a hard core anti-Christian fanatic against Christians in Goa some time back. This type of people wants Goencho Saib and Christian festivals only to make money for them by marketing their goods during the Christian Feasts and thus make money for them. Otherwise they don’t want Christians and Christianity in Goa. These non-Chrsitians are traitors and for the sake of money they will do anything even they will sell their wives and daughters as many of them did during the Portuguese rule in Goa and thus got franchises for them to start and develop their business empires.
It is a wrong notion that during the Portuguese rule in Goa Christians were dominating in trade and commerce, but in reality it was just the opposite. Almost the entire commercial activities were monopolized by the non-Chrsitians, even the employment in government sector was in greater number manned by the non-Christians. The majority of Christians remained only for “Beber – Comer & Dansar”. Good that foreign shores opened their doors for Goans otherwise Goan Christians in Goa would never develop financially. Our show is only external.
One of the reasons for Goan Christians to remain backward was the weak leadership given to the faithful by our Goa Church. Our Church is not encouraging and guiding the faithful in right direction to make a headway economically for this reason almost the entire commercial sector is owned by the non-Chrsitians. We need a Sayedna of Bohras at Altinho Panjim and not a Ferrao. The financial might of the Catholics in Goa is only of cosmetic nature. Though some of the financially mighty Goans are Christians who collected huge finance not thru legal hard work but thru "goondagir" and thru illicit manner.
During my stay in Kuwait for a long period I helped many Goan priests for fund raising for their projects in Goa but none of the visiting priests encouraged and advised Kuwait Goans to involve in commerce in Goa. Instead they encouraged us in Kuwait to help them financially todevelop their business ventures. The more money they get from the faithful the more they want. Most of them are only interested in filling their coffers and live the life of Maharajas with sin, filth and vulgarity. Priesthood for many of them is a very good vocation to live the life of pomp and sin. It is these people who are disgracing the fair image of Christ.
The way the commercial and financial activities going on at Old Goa in the name of Exposition of Goencho Saib it looks that the sole purpose of this Exposition is of making money. Church is also making money but non-Christians are minting money. There at Old Goa now a days it looks there is no reverence and respect for Goencho Saib but reverence and greed for money only thus demoting the holiness of Goencho Saib. For many of the non-Goans, Old Goa is like a place of Tamasha and Goencho Saib is somebody like a “Jadugar” or Actor not meant to pay reverence and adoration. Their behavior is like an insult not only to Goencho Saib but alsso to the Catholicims in Goa.
I feel this system of Exposition in every ten years should come to an end and instead the relics of St. Francis Xavier should be kept open permanently. Otherwise, the way things are going on at Old Goa, the value of Goencho Saib will be abig joke.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel. 7507394349.