CV NEWS FEED // Government officials in India’s western state of Goa want Pope Francis to attend its decennial exposition of St Francis Xavier relics later this year.
According to a recent AsiaNews report, Goa’s chief minister “has asked Prime Minister Modi to renew the invitation he made in 2021 to the pope to visit India.” However, speculation that the move comes as an attempt “to woo Chrisian voters in the coming spring elections.”
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reportedly said on Friday that the state government will ask the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to invite the Holy Father to the event, renewing an invitation previously posed to the Pontiff in October 2021.
The exposition is set to take place in Goa from November 21, 2024 to January 5, 2025 at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa City.
The report stated:
As per established practice, to make it easier for almost a billion Indian voters to cast their ballot, the election will be held in seven phases starting on 19 April to 1 June; for Goa, the vote is set for 7 May.
For this reason, the chief minister’s words have raised eyebrows, with the opposition accusing the BJP of using the exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier to woo Christian voters.
The Goa State Government has allocated approximately $1.2 million to the event, with the possibility of additional funds being “diverted from other departments,” according to Sawant.
The Union federal government has also recently spearheaded efforts to make the basilica a tourist destination as a part of the Ministry of Tourism’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive program.
“However,” the report continued, “this move has been harshly criticised by local activists, who called it an electioneering initiative.”
No response has been issued by the Vatican so far, though Francis is expected to make apostolic visits to Asia and Oceania in September of this year, if his health allows.
