Old Goa, May 5, 2020: The silver casket that houses the relics of Saint Francis Xavier is set to go to Italy for restoration.

However, an impasse has arisen over the responsibility to conduct the restoration. The Church authorities want to oversee the work, which was disputed by the Archaeological Society of India that manages the Bom Jesu Basilica in Old Goa where the casket is kept since 1637.

It was in that year the saint’s mortal remains were first taken away from public view and ensconced in a silver casket. It is kept atop a specially constructed mausoleum within the basilica.

The silver casket has shown serious sign of distress and experts have said that it will become irreparable if no action is taken within the next few years.

“We have been wishing to send it to Italy, where they have offered to do it for free. However, the ASI New Delhi put paid to such plans and has instead said that this can be done by the ASI’s chemical institute in Aurangabad,” Father Patrício Fernandes, the rector of basilica, said.

The priest also says much of the work ASI does is not satisfactory. “They cannot restore even a painting. If they cannot do the simple things how will we expect them to do something as delicate as this?” he asked.

St Francis Xavier is affectionately referred to ‘Goencho saib’ (Lord of Goa). The impressive Baroque Architecture of the Basilica, a UNESCO, World Heritage site, draws hundreds of thousands of tourists from across the world.

Plans were being made to ship the casket to Florence in Italy, before the ASI decided that it would be better to have it restored locally.

The Church authorities, however, said that they have the local MLAs and MPs in a bid to allow for the shipping of the casket to Italy where the restoration will be done, which if approved, will now happen only after the coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

Back in 2018, the authorities had invited experts from Italy to examine the casket who had suggested that the work be done in Florence.

The Spaniard Jesuit from the Basque province, a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, had in 1542 traveled to Portuguese territories in India and beyond right up to Japan for missionary work. He died in 1552 at Sanchian, an island off China.

His “incorruptible” remains were exhumed from where he was initially buried. The remains were transferred to Goa, which was then the headquarters of the Portuguese maritime empire. The Church declared him a saint in 1622.

Source: hindustantimes.com