Panaji: When news broke of Pope Francis picking Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao to be a cardinal, nowhere was the joy more palpable that at the Ferrao family home in Aldona’s Santarxette waddo, and in Corjuem, where he took his first breath.
“Our family is no doubt delighted,” said Eric Ferrao, the Archbishop’s nephew.
The spiritual shepherd of one of Asia’s oldest dioceses, Ferrao was born on January 20, 1953, and seemed destined for the spiritual life early on. At just 10, he renounced the material world and joined the Seminary of Our Lady, Saligao.
From there, there was no stopping him. He was ordained a priest at just 26, and his intellect and grasp of theology put him on the fast track. At 40, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Goa and Daman, and in 2004, was elevated to Archbishop. He currently serves as president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India.
However, away from the sharp theological mind is a man who loves the environment, has the innate ability to recall people’s names after just a single meeting, and the ability to speak eight languages fluently — Ferrao can seamlessly switch between Konkani, Hindi, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Latin, and then celebrate Mass in Marathi and Gujarati for residents of Daman.
“One thing I can say is that he loves gardening, and even if he comes at 10pm, the first thing he does is check his plants,” said Eric. “He loves pets too, and has got two-three aquariums in his room.”
It is no wonder then that Ferrao has emerged as a champion for environment conservation, a stance that often makes the state’s administrators squirm. In his pastoral letter for 2021-2022, he asked priests and the laity “to be protectors and stewards of God’s creation”. The message came at a time when Goa was in the midst of protests against the three linear projects cutting through the Western Ghats — doubling of the railway tracks, four-laning of a national highway, and the Tamnar project.
However, he has always maintained cordial ties with the government, and stories of his bonhomie with former CM Manohar Parrikar are well-known in political circles. But that hasn’t stopped him from speaking up for his flock.
Rachol seminary’s prefect of theology studies, Fr Nelson Sequeira, recalls how the patriarch of Lisbon mentioned that Ferrao made a great impression in the 2012 synod of bishops. “His interventions… have been impressive,” he said. “In the Archdiocese, he has focussed on the spiritual awakening and taken keen interest in the affairs of the laity and religious. He merits this title for his wisdom and ministry.”
Sequeira added that “Right from the time he took charge of the Archdiocese, there were rumours that he would be made a Cardinal”.
The youngest of three children, Ferrao has looked up to his siblings — Octaviano Ferrao and Maria Amelia Raposo — and still makes it a point to visit them despite his busy schedule. While Octaviano resides with his family at Aldona’s Santarxette waddo, his sister moved to Mumbai after marriage.
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