Panaji:
All churches in Goa held special prayers on Sunday regarding peace against the backdrop of massive tension between India and Pakistan. The prayers are being held at a time when heads of Brics have decided to tackle cross-border terror and its supporters with utmost zeal.
The prayers were held on the call given by the Catholic Bishops' conference.
The prayers were also attended by people from otherfaiths besides Catholics.
"Recent escalation of tension along our borders has beencausing serious concern to our respective populations and has prompted the President of Catholic Bishops' Conference ofIndia to issue a circular asking that a day October 16 be set aside as a day of prayer for India," Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Filipe Neri Ferrao had stated in a circular issued earlier.
He had also called for "other people of good will" to join in praying for one another and for peace.
At around 27 per cent, the Catholics are an influential community in this erstwhile Portuguese enclave.
"The fragile peace along the Indian border with neighbouring Pakistan is regularly disturbed by exchange of fire and other forms of violence, revealing a simmering state of hostility and suspicion between two countries that otherwise share linguistic, cultural, geographical and even economic links," Ferrao stated. Goa is hosting BRICS summit and BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meeting.
