Goa Church Decides Interfaith Alliance

The Se Cathedral at Old Goa. Wikipedia

The Archdiocese of Goa and Daman's social work wing, including the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) and the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), have planned to hold an interfaith agreement to propagate secularism.

The development was made in the aftermath of desecration of crosses and Christian symbols by unidentified miscreants in the state. The alliance will help in the fact-finding report, according to Times of India.

"Releasing the social fact finding report wasn't the only objective of setting up the fact finding committee, we also want to carry forward the mission of secularism," said Fr Savio Fernandes, executive secretary of CSJP.

"We have been meeting but not on a regular basis. Now, we want to make it a stronger and permanent group," he added.

In the path of faith, the church also bears social responsibilities, noted Fernandes.

"Priests must not take sides but can bring unjust issues to the notice of the faithful. Priests have to be moderate but can advise in terms of principles," he added.

Fernandes also noted that the interfaith alliance was crucial for the church to find out whether there is a hint of communalism at the grassroots level in incidents of desecration of crosses.