CV NEWS FEED // In Goa, India, tensions have risen after Subhash Velingkar — a former leader of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — called for DNA testing of the relics of St. Francis Xavier, Goa’s patron saint.
Velingkar’s request, made on October 2, has triggered protests and a strong response from the local Catholic community, as preparations are underway for the exhibition of the saint’s relics next month in Old Goa, according to an October 7 report from AsiaNews.
The RSS, according to Asia News, is “a Hindu extremist organization close to India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”
Velingkar, who has previously challenged the status of St. Francis Xavier as the “protector” of Goa and campaigned to have the saint replaced with a figure from Hindu mythology, is now pushing for scientific verification of the saint’s remains. Church officials and local leaders have condemned Velingkar’s statements.
In response to the growing unrest, protests erupted in several areas of Goa. More than 300 people gathered at the Margao police station on October 4, according to the report.
AsiaNews reported that Fr. Savio Fernandes, executive secretary of the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), issued a statement condemning Velingkar’s remarks as “insulting and derogatory.”
“Velingkar’s statements deeply hurt the religious sentiments not only of Catholics but also of so many people belonging to other faith communities who also revere the saint for having received numerous favors in their lives after praying to him,” Fr. Fernandes stated.
However, Fr. Fernandes also urged Catholics to maintain peace: “We appeal to the citizens not to distract their attention from the major issues plaguing our state.”
Velingkar, expelled from the RSS two years ago, has been accused of trying to incite communal tensions between Goa’s Catholic and Hindu populations, according to the report.
Velingkar has also linked his call for DNA testing to his view of the Goa Inquisition, which took place during Portuguese rule and was “an unfortunate chapter in the history of Goa,” adding that while “history speaks” of the saint’s evangelism, “it is important to understand that the Goa Inquisition created a reign of terror for many non-Christians.”
Velingkar himself filed a complaint with authorities, accusing activist groups of spreading “false narratives” about his position, and defending his stance, according to AsiaNews.
“The push for a DNA test to verify the identity of the remains believed to be those of St. Francis Xavier has gained momentum among the Buddhists in Sri Lanka and globally,” he stated on October 3.
Churchill Alemao, Goa’s former Chief Minister and a member of the All India Trinamool Congress, filed a complaint against Velingkar, stating that “People of all faiths — Hindus, Muslims and Christians — have been living peacefully in Goa, but people like [Velingkar] are out to destroy the age-old communal harmony,” AsiaNews reported.
The relics of St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who arrived in Goa in 1542, are set to be displayed from November 21, 2024, to January 5, 2025, at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. The exhibition is a major event for the region’s Catholic community and attracts pilgrims from around the world, the report shared. According to the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, the exhibition of the relics occurs every 10 years.