Pak devotees likely to attend St Francis relics exposition

Devotees from Pakistan are likely to be among the foreigners who would attend the exposition of relics of St Francis Xavier in Goa from November this year.
"For the last exposition held in 2004, pilgrims from Pakistan had arrived in a group. This time too, there will be followers from Pakistan among other countries," Fr Alfred Vaz, convener of St Francis Xavier Exposition Committee, told PTI yesterday.
There is a large section of people of Goan origin living in Pakistan who visit the state during the exposition. "Besides them, there are several followers of St Francis Xavier who will come here to venerate the relics," he said.

The organisers, he said, have been getting enquiries from countries like Japan and UK from where large group of pilgrims are expected to visit Goa during the exposition days.
A group of 1,300 pilgrims from Kerala have also expressed their wish to participate in the event, he said.
The exposition, to be held from November 22, 2014 to January 4, 2015, would be attended by over 50 lakh people, as against 30 lakh people who came for the event a decade back.

"During the last exposition, we had people from countries like Spain, Portugal and France and this year also devotees are expected from there," he said.

The organisers have said this would not be the last decennial event.
The Archbishop of Goa will decide which year would be the last exposition.
"The relics can be kept for many years. How many more years would depend on thinking of the church. The thinking process should come up whether the relics would be kept for exposition or would be kept down for regular viewing. At one point there were priests who were thinking whether to keep the cascade down," he said.
The relics are currently housed in Basilica of Bom Jesus at Old Goa, from where they will be brought to Se Cathedral church located on the same campus, for veneration.