Daijiworld Media Network – Goa
Goa, May 7: As 133 cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to elect the new pope, a historic moment awaits two distinguished figures hailing from Aldona – Archbishop of Goa Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão and Archbishop Emeritus of Karachi Cardinal Joseph Coutts.
The conclave, which will determine the 267th successor of Saint Peter, is set to be the most geographically diverse in the history of the Church, with cardinals from 70 countries under the age of 80 years eligible to vote.
Cardinal Ferrão, 72, is not only the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) but also leads the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC). Appointed cardinal by Pope Francis on August 27, 2022, Ferrão has played a significant role in the global Catholic community. On October 23, 2024, he was elected to the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod by the Synod of Bishops.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Coutts, 79, also from Aldona, had recently visited Goa to participate in the Feast of St Joseph Vaz in Sancoale. Created cardinal by Pope Francis in June 2018, he has contributed significantly to the Vatican’s interfaith dialogue, having served as a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop of Karachi from January 2012 until his retirement in February 2021 and also served as the president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Chairman of Caritas Pakistan.
Aldona, a village in Goa, has produced an extraordinary number of bishops and cardinals—about 60 in total—who have served in India, Pakistan, Africa, and the USA. Besides Ferrão and Coutts, notable figures include Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto (first cousin of Cardinal Coutts), Archbishop-Emeritus of Karachi Evarist Pinto, Bishop Earl K Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, and the late Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai Ferdinand J Fonseca, among others.
Fr Joaquim Loiola Pereira, secretary to Cardinal Ferrão, explained in an earlier interview that Goa’s strong priestly vocations stem from a tradition where families "offer one child to God." This deep-rooted faith has contributed to Goa’s prominence in producing bishops and cardinals.
Aldona, in particular, has been a significant center for the Catholic faith in Goa. The Franciscans began their mission there in 1569, constructing a chapel in Coimavaddo, which laid the foundation for a flourishing Christian community. By 1596, St Thomas Church was built in a more central location, marking the growth of Christianity in the region.
This papal conclave marks a historic chapter for both Aldona and the global Catholic community, as two of its prominent figures play a key role in selecting the next pope.