Statement
We are deeply grieved by the passing away of our dear Pope John Paul II.
We pray, together with the whole Church spread throughout the world, that
God may give him eternal peace and joy. At the same time, we thank the same
God for the gifts He bestowed on this great Shepherd, who guided the
destinies of the Church in really challenging times, through a long and
eventful pontificate.
Pope John Paul was a Pilgrim Pope, always on the move, eager to spread the
message of Joy, Peace and Love of Jesus in every corner of the world. He was
a staunch Defender of Human Rights, raising his voice for the poor, the
marginalized and the persecuted. Such was his personal charisma that he rose
to become a Global Citizen, in fact, a Global Statesman, inaugurating a new
order of international solidarity, which brought about a considerable change
in the socio-political world scene. He was a tireless Advocate of a Culture
of Life, who spared no efforts to defend the sacredness of life and the
dignity of the human person right from the moment of conception. A man of
strong convictions on vital moral issues, he possessed the strength to stand
by them, uncompromising, even in the face of fierce opposition.
We pray for his eternal rest.
CIRCULAR
We are all saddened by the passing away of our beloved Holy Father, Pope
John Paul II, after an outstanding pastoral leadership of 26 years to the
Universal Church.
As we pray that the Lord may grant him eternal peace and joy, we recall with
gratitude the great Gift of God that he was to the Church and to the world
at large. He was a man of deep faith and of intense prayer. He was a
powerful communicator, who could relate to all sections of the people,
especially the young. He courageously pushed forward the movement of Church
Renewal that had been launched by the Second Vatican Council in the nineteen
sixties.
>From 1980 onwards -- barely two years into his new ministry -- he fixed his
gaze on the Great Jubilee of the Second Millennium of Christianity and he
not only prepared the Church but led her joyously into the Third Millennium.
His ecumenical action and his efforts at Inter-religious Dialogue were
noteworthy. His uncompromising stand on moral and social as well as on some
political issues made him a powerful agent of a new world order of
solidarity and one of the most notable figures of the twentieth century.
As a mark of respect to the departed soul of our Supreme Pontiff, we call
upon our Parish Priests, Chaplains and Heads of Church institutions to:
1. arrange for the tolling of bells today, tomorrow and on the day of
the funeral of His Holiness, in all the Churches and Chapels of our
Archdiocese;
2. hold special prayers for the repose of the departed soul on a
convenient date in our Churches, Chapels and Church institutions;
3. join in a Solemn Pontifical Mass in our Cathedral Church at Old Goa
on the day of the Funeral of the Holy Father, at 10 a.m., with the
participation of the Faithful, the Religious, the Clergy and also, possibly,
of members of other faiths who would like to associate themselves with us,
on this solemn occasion;
4. promote, after the funeral date, special prayers in our parishes,
institutions and families until the election of the new Pope, so that the
Church may have a worthy successor of our dearly beloved Pope John Paul II.
The offices of the Archbishop?s House and of other Diocesan Centres and
Bodies will remain closed tomorrow and on the day of the Funeral and the
Papal Flag will be flown at half mast in the Archbishop?s House, until the
date of the funeral.
Archbishop?s House, Panjim, Goa, April 3, 2005.
Filipe Neri Ferrao
Archbishop of Goa and Daman
