ID5890.1282 March 30, 2004 50 EM-lines (560 words) INDIA Nuncio Makes Four-Day Pastoral Visit To Goa
PANAJI, India (UCAN) - The apostolic nuncio to India spent four days in Goa to familiarize himself with Church life in Asia's oldest existing diocese. Archbishop Pedro Lopes Quintana's March 21-24 stay was the longest any nuncio has made to this former Portuguese colony from which missioners set out to evangelize across Asia. During the stay, he said Goa is special to the Catholic Church. Upon its establishment in 1533, Goa diocese stretched from the southern tip of Africa to China and Japan. It became an archdiocese 25 years later. Its territory currently comprises Goa state and the two federally ruled units of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the north. Its headquarters are in Panaji, the Goa state capital, 1,910 kilometers southwest of New Delhi. Speaking with UCA News on March 26, archdiocesan spokesperson Father Olavo Velho Pereira recalled that earlier Vatican representatives came for a day to attend a function or a feast. "But this is the first time the nuncio expressed his wish to come to Goa on a pastoral visit of four days," he added. Father Pereira said the nuncio wanted to know about the life of the local Church, so the archdiocese prepared an extensive program that included meetings with people involved in various apostolates. During the visit, Archbishop Quintana asked priests of the archdiocese to make themselves available to people, to devote themselves "fully to the vocation and be an instrument of peace and love." On March 23, he addressed 170 priests at Navelim, south of Panaji. He reminded them, as ministers of the Church, to attend to people's needs and explore the goodness in them. The nuncio called on the priests to reach out to people with compassion, especially people facing disease, unemployment, poverty and injustice. "We are consecrated to share in the passion of Christ, and we need to listen and help our people. They must feel that we are for them," he urged. God wants priests to "fundamentally distribute his love to others," Archbishop Quintana said, reminding the priests that "although it is Christ who heals, we need to exercise the power to heal spiritual illnesses." Jesus attracted crowds because of his mercy, kindness and forgiveness, the prelate added, calling priests to emulate the Lord. The Vatican representative later met members of the Council of Diocesan Bodies, and addressed the executives of parish pastoral councils. On March 24, he interacted with doctors, lawyers, media people, nurses and teachers, who highlighted the conflicts and challenges they face as Christians in their profession. He challenged them: "Don't go with the tide. Fight against the peer pressures and be leaders of society." Appreciating the "good work" done by laypeople at the parish level, the nuncio said the laity has a major role to sanctify the world through deeds. Archbishop Quintana also visited Mapusa, north of Panaji, for a "parish experience." He met various groups including youth to find out about the activities undertaken by St. Jerome's Parish. On the first day of his visit, Archbishop Quintana installed Archbishop Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao do Rosario Ferrao as Archbishop of Goa and Daman, succeeding retiring Archbishop Raul Nicolau Gonsalves. That same day, the Vatican diplomat visited the Shrine of Blessed Joseph Vaz. Blessed Vaz was a 17th-century missioner of Goan origin called the "Apostle of Sri Lanka" for his work there spreading the Gospel. END http://www.ucanews.com/search/show.php?q=Goa&file=archives/english/2004/03/w5/tue/ID5890Rg.txt ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
