St. Francis Xavier’s body on public display in Goa

[Michie]

Thousands of Catholic pilgrims are converging on Goa in west India to see the relics of 16th Century Spanish missionary, Saint Francis ‎Xavier.‎ The remains of the are usually kept in a casket at the Basilica of Bom ‎Jesus.‎ Once every 10 years they are put on public display, and on Saturday the casket was brought out in ‎procession and taken to the nearby Se Cathedral.‎ After a celebratory Mass on Saturday led by Indian archbishops, thousands lined up to kiss the relics as ‎the procession began amid tight security.‎ The Catholic Church in Goa, a former Portuguese colony, is working to ensure the event is "spiritually nourishing" for the visitors. "This is a wonderful opportunity to proclaim our faith," said Archbishop Filipe de Rosario Ferrao of Goa. "St. Francis Xavier had set a great example of missionary work. The pilgrims will be inspired and deepened in their faith when they see his body and get an opportunity to pray before it," Archbishop Ferrao told Catholic News Service on the eve of the public display. "We are making every effort so that the exposition will inspire more faithful to follow the path of proclaiming the Gospel that our patron saint has shown us," he added.


This is the 17th time the saint’s body is being exposed in Goa since it the first time 1782. Born in Spain in 1506, St. Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Society of Jesus, reached Goa in 1541, then a Portuguese colony. After baptizing thousands along the coast of peninsular South India, he left for East Asia in 1545 and returned to Goa in 1551. During his second trip to East Asia, he fell sick and died at age 46 on China's Sancian Island, Dec. 3, 1552.

St. Francis Xavier?s body on public display in Goa ? Vatican Radio

 

[Sword of the Lord]

That's creepy and not OK, imho.

 

[Michie]

It is weird. Never quite gotten used to it myself.

 

[Alonso_Castillo]

We may forget the sacrality of our bodies, We have to remember that Jesus The Lord resurrected in his body, the first clue the women found was that His body was not there, so our bodies are sacred even after death as they will resurrect as The Lord did.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

We don't forget that our bodies are sacred and the temple of the HS. But there's quite a difference in the risen Christ and exposing a dead man's remains every 10 years.

 

[Alonso_Castillo]

We don't forget that our bodies are sacred and the temple of the HS. But there's quite a difference in the risen Christ and exposing a dead man's remains every 10 years.

Well you have to remember that the greatest churches of the world are built upon the tumb of some of thegreatest saints of Christianity, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, etc.

 

[Tallguy88]

That's kinda creepy to me. Keep him buried and let him rest in peace.

 

[FlaviusAetius]

That's kinda creepy to me. Keep him buried and let him rest in peace.

As a Saint he is in peace regardless of what happens to the body. Even if someone were to desecrate it the soul wouldn't be harmed. So if the sight of his corpse helps instill spirituality and pilgrimage spirit then why would the Saint be against it? It'd only be a problem if people began worshiping the corpse itself, which doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[hsilgne]

Gee, I would have never guessed 462... he doesn't look a day past 300.

 

[GoingByzantine]

The whole keeping bodies, whether uncorrupt or not as relics is something I have never felt very comfortable with.

Just have a priest take out a blessing cross, and let the faithful be blessed with the holy spirit. No need to come stare at a rotting body surrounded by glass, imho.

 

[Basil the Great]

Somehow this does not seem very appealing, but if seeing the corpse on display helps someone live a better life, so be it I guess.

 

[Liberation]

Very Anglo responses.

I think it's neat. I like that we can actually encounter people from the past.