Goa Archbishop extends Christmas greetings, talks of inclusivity

Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Father Filipe Neri Ferrao on Tuesday extended Christmas greeting and urged people to make the society with people of "all hues and colours."

"It is a Christmas time and the general atmosphere is of joy and merrymaking. May this Christmas find us more involved in doing precisely in creating a society where people of all hues and colours can join hands to make this world a place where justice, peace and understanding will conquer hatred and intolerance among human beings," said Archbishop Ferrao.

Christmas that marks the birth of Jesus, is one of the most important festivals that is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in Goa.

The state is famous for beaches and churches with some 15th-century sophisticated creativity of Portuguese architect and culture.

"God was born in a human family and blessed every member of the human race with his love, peace and joy. This reality makes us recognise in others an image of god and imposes on us the duty to work for the betterment of our fellow beings," the Archbishop added.

Christianity is the second-largest religious grouping in the state of Goa and according to the 2011 census, 25 per cent of the population follow the faith.