Pope Francis remembered as leader of inter-religious dialogue

Panaji: Pope Francis was a pope of peace and for peace in the world. He also propagated interreligious dialogue, said Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao on Thursday at a special Mass offered by the Archdiocese at Se Cathedral, to pray for the soul of Pope Francis.

Bishop emeritus of Port Blair, bishop Alex Dias, priests, and religious of the archdiocese gathered at Se Cathedral, the mother church of the archdiocese, to pray for the eternal repose of Pope Francis.

Ferrao said Pope Francis gave special attention to the old, disabled, and children and said the Church should not be a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners.

“He wanted the Church to be an all-embracing, inclusive church. He was also a pope of peace, hoping that there would be peace in the world. He was a man of interreligious dialogue. He wanted to build bridges of friendship. Finally, through his encyclical ‘Laudato Si’, he called everyone to protect and preserve nature,” Cardinal Ferrao stated.

The Pope, he said, often spoke of ecological justice and intergenerational justice, calling Earth our home and stating that it is the duty of the members of the Church to protect and preserve nature.


Ferrao called upon everyone to carry on the legacy of Pope Francis and follow him in becoming humble, loving, understanding, and service-oriented followers of Christ.

Auxiliary bishop Simiao Fernandes, who is in Jerusalem for a seminar, through a communication, also expressed his grief and offered prayers for Pope Francis while spiritually uniting himself with the faithful of the archdiocese.

The atmosphere was filled with Gregorian chants and Konkani and Latin hymns by the choir led by Fr Romeo Monteiro.

The liturgy was organised by Fr Afonso Mendonca, and commentary was done by Fr Henry Falcao.

The Argentine pontiff, 88, died on April 21, after a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia. Pope Francis’ funeral , which is expected to draw huge crowds, will take place at the Baroque plaza in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on April 26.