DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12673#0158
ORIENTAL STUDIES.
139
The religion of Goa is the Roman Catholic. The
primate is appointed from home, and is expected to
pass the rest of his life in exile. In the ceremonies
of the church we observed a few, but not very im-
portant deviations from the Italian ritual. The
holy week and other great festivals are still kept
up, but the number of ferie (religious holidays) has
of late been greatly diminished, and the poverty
of the people precludes any attempt at display
on these occasions. All ecclesiastical matters are
settled with the utmost facility. By the constitu-
tion lately granted, the clergy have lost the power
of excommunication. The Papal see, who kept so
jealous and watchful an eye upon Goa in the days
of her wealth and grandeur, seems now almost
to have forgotten the existence of her froward
daughter.* As regards the effect of religion upon
the community in general, we should say that the
mild discipline of the priesthood has produced so far
a happy result, that the free-thinking spirit roused
by ecclesiastical intolerance in Europe, is all but
unknown here.
* And yet as late as 1840, the Government of Goa was
obliged to issue an order confiscating the property of all priests
who should submit to the Vicar-apostolic appointed by the
Pope.
139
The religion of Goa is the Roman Catholic. The
primate is appointed from home, and is expected to
pass the rest of his life in exile. In the ceremonies
of the church we observed a few, but not very im-
portant deviations from the Italian ritual. The
holy week and other great festivals are still kept
up, but the number of ferie (religious holidays) has
of late been greatly diminished, and the poverty
of the people precludes any attempt at display
on these occasions. All ecclesiastical matters are
settled with the utmost facility. By the constitu-
tion lately granted, the clergy have lost the power
of excommunication. The Papal see, who kept so
jealous and watchful an eye upon Goa in the days
of her wealth and grandeur, seems now almost
to have forgotten the existence of her froward
daughter.* As regards the effect of religion upon
the community in general, we should say that the
mild discipline of the priesthood has produced so far
a happy result, that the free-thinking spirit roused
by ecclesiastical intolerance in Europe, is all but
unknown here.
* And yet as late as 1840, the Government of Goa was
obliged to issue an order confiscating the property of all priests
who should submit to the Vicar-apostolic appointed by the
Pope.