To the Priests, Religious and Lay Faithful of this Archdiocese

Campaign of Prayer for the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections

Dearly Beloved,

 Precisely a month ago, in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections, we had reminded our Catholic faithful of the solemn duty and privilege of exercising our franchise with a sense of responsibility to oneself and to our beloved nation, so that we may have a responsible and accountable governance, which respects and promotes both the freedom of all individuals and the good of the entire society.

 As the dates of the elections in the various States – including ours -- are coming closer, we write this Letter to earnestly appeal for prayers for a peaceful election process and a favourable outcome that will bring in a government which will uphold the principles of democracy, secularism, human rights, freedom of conscience, etc., as enshrined in the Constitution of our nation.

 We suggest and recommend hereby a few practices to be followed, both before and after the election process:  1) An appropriate petition to be added in the Prayers of the Faithful, whenever they are held in our liturgical celebrations;  2) Offering of the prayer of the family Rosary or at least of some decades for this intention;  3) A special Mass or Holy Hour to be organized in our parishes and religious communities on the eve of the election in our State.

 This ‘prayer campaign’ should continue till the announcement of the results and even later. It should make us constantly aware of our duties and responsibilities, as citizens who not only cast their vote, but also actively participate in the political life of our State: this is indeed a compelling need of the present times, if we are to become what we are called to be: messengers of hope and peace in the world of today.

 As we stand at a moment of great challenges, let us intensify our prayer for a governance that will bring people together across party lines to work for the common good. In tune with the vision of the Father of our Nation, let the good of the least and the last citizen of our country be our criterion and starting point in this effort of ours to help build our nation.

 Archbishop’s House, Panjim, Goa, April 7, 2009.
    

                ( + Filipe Neri Ferrão)
        Archbishop of Goa and Daman