Not in Our Nave

It began when Rector Savio Barreto of Goa’s most famous shrine, the Basilica de Bom Jesus, said he would “enforce modesty” in the church by banning photography and swathing under-dressed tourists with scarves.

It began when Rector Savio Barreto of Goa’s most famous shrine, the Basilica de Bom Jesus, said he would “enforce modesty” in the church by banning photography and swathing under-dressed tourists with scarves. As a committee of churches in Goa debated whether to extend the dress code to other shrines, the ASI leapt into the fray, saying that bans and sanctions were their prerogative.

But the Church is sticking to its stand. Says Fr Francisco X Caldeira, a spokesperson for the Archbishop of Goa, “Each church is autonomous, and will do what suits it, and the priest is in a position to discern between right and wrong. I don’t feel that the ASI should have a say in this.” He adds, “It is true that tourists come in, behave without any respect for the place, and locals see all this and get really disturbed.”

About The Author

Shruti Ravindran