The 45-day-long exposition of the holy relics of St Francis Xavier began in Goa on Thursday. The exposition will conclude on January 5, 2025. “In conformity with the long-standing practice, followed in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, of holding the solemn exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier every ten years, the XVIII exposition of the sacred relics of “Goycho Saib” will begin on November 21, 2024, Thursday, and will end on January 5, 2025, Sunday,” as per a release from Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. On Friday, the Solemn Eucharist for the opening of the exposition is being held, after which the sacred relics of the saint will be taken in a solemn procession to the Se Cathedral Church.

 

The sacred relics will be kept in the See Cathedral Church for veneration by the devotees for 45 days. Exposition: Goa cops question 4 PFI members: Five persons, including four from banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), were questioned following intelligence inputs of probable disturbance during the ongoing 45-day decennial exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier, a Goa Police official said on Thursday. PFI members Yasin Nalur, Mohammad Hevri, Imran Illyas and Shaikh Rauf were interrogated after an intelligence input was received about the likelihood of the outfit indulging in certain acts to disturb peace and tranquillity, the official said. “The four were produced before the magistrate in Marago with chapter proceedings to bound them for good behaviour. We also interrogated one Altaf Sandi, belonging to Goa Youth Foundation, in connection with this input.

 

He was produced before the magistrate in Ponda with chapter proceedings,” the official added. The action was taken under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the official said. Under this, an executive magistrate can order a person to show cause on why he should not be asked to execute a bond to keep peace for a certain period not exceeding one year. Earlier in the day, holy relics were taken in a procession from Basilica of Bom Jesus to the Se Cathedral in a specially designed electric vehicle, accompanied by the clergy and selected representatives of various sections of society.