The Basilica of Bom Jesus (;

Konkani __NOTOC__ Konkani may refer to: Language * Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India. * Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language **Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...

: ''Borea Jezuchi Bajilika'') is a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

basilica located in Goa, in the Konkan region of India. The iconic church is a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

centre and recognised by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. The basilica is located in Old Goa, the former capital of

Portuguese India The State of India, also known as the Portuguese State of India or Portuguese India, was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded seven years after the discovery of the sea route to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama, a subject of the ...

, and holds the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier. ''Bom Jesus'' (meaning, "Good/ Infant Jesus" in Portuguese) is the name used for the '' Ecce Homo'' in countries of the Lusosphere. This

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

church is India's first

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

, and is considered to be one of the best examples of

baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the late 16th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means to ...

and Portuguese colonial architecture in India. It is one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World.

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

raised this sanctuary to the status of basilica via the Pontifical decree “Priscam Goae” on 20 March 1946. The decree was signed and notarized by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini.

History

Construction work on the church began in 1594. The church was consecrated in May 1605 by the archbishop, Dom Fr. Aleixo de Menezes. This

world heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

monument has emerged as a landmark in the

history of Christianity The history of Christianity began with the life of Jesus, an itinerant Jewish preacher and teacher, who was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified in Jerusalem . His followers proclaimed that he was the Incarnation (Christianity), incarnation of Go ...

. It contains the body of St. Francis Xavier, a very close friend of St. Ignatius Loyola with whom he founded the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

(the Jesuits). Francis Xavier died on Sancian Island, Chuandao (), Taishan while en route to continental

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

on 3 December 1552. The body of Francis Xavier was first taken to

Portuguese Malacca Portuguese control of Malaccaa city on the Malay Peninsulaspanned a 130 year period from 1511 to 1641 as a possession of the Portuguese East Indies. It was captured from the Malacca Sultanate as part of Portuguese attempts to gain control of ...

and two years later shipped back to Goa. It is said that the saint's body was as fresh as the day it was buried. The remains of the saint still attract a huge number of tourists (Christian and non-Christian alike) from all over the world, especially during the public viewing of his body every ten years (last held in December 2024). The saint is said to have miraculous powers of healing. The church is one of the oldest in Goa and in India. The floor is of

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

inlaid with precious stones. Apart from the elaborate gilded altars, the interior of the church is simple. The main altar holds a large statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

). Ignatius was one of Francis Xavier's closest companions, whose words drew him to a reformed life when Ignatius asked Francis, "What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?" The gaze of the gilded statue of Ignatius of Loyola is fixed upwards in awe at the name of Jesus (IHS) on the gilded emblem of the Jesuits, encircled in radiant rays. Over the emblem, is the

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

- Father, Son and Spirit - the ultimate muse and focus of the pious Christian. The altar table which is used in Holy mass is gilded and adorned with the figures of Christ and his apostles at the

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...

, along with the words "Hi Mhoji Kudd", which in Konkani means "This is my Body", from the Institution Narrative. The

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

also holds paintings of scenes taken from the life of St. Francis Xavier. The mausoleum, on the top of which is placed the silver casket with the body of St. Francis Xavier (1696), was the gift of

Cosimo III de' Medici Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder s ...

, the

Grand Duke of Tuscany Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), se ...

. The mausoleum was designed by the 17th-century Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini. It took ten years to complete. The casket containing his body is made of

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

. The holy

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

of the saint are displayed every ten years during the anniversary of the saint's death. His liturgical feast is 3 December. On the upper level, overlooking the tomb is the Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery, containing the works of the Goan surrealist painter, Dom Martin. Author and fellow Jesuit Anthony De Mello was also from Goa and mentions the basilica in his writings. The Basilica of Bom Jesus is more than 408 years old and is open to the public every day. The body of St. Francis Xavier is in a well-decorated casket, which can be seen in the photographs below. Solemn exhibitions of the 'body' are held every ten years. Murals taken inside the church are provide insights about the artwork of that time.

Gallery

File:Goa-BomJesus-Nave1.jpg, Interior view towards altar File:Mausoléo São Francisco Xavier.jpg, Relics of St. Francis Xavier File:Goa - St. Francis Xavier's Church.JPG, The ornamented entrance to the church File:Basilica of Bom Jesus and vehicles parked infront.jpg, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa File:Basilica of Bom Jesus captured through fence.jpg, Basilica of Bom Jesus-View from the entrance File:Side Elevation of Basilica of Bom Jesus.jpg, View from the Se Chathedral File:Mortal Remains of St. Francis Xavier.jpg, Mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier File:India - Goa - 005 - Portuguese-style courtyard of Basilica (342034401).jpg, Inside courtyard File:Basilica of Bom Jesus inside courtyard.jpg, Basilica of Bon Jesus inside the courtyard File:IHS Basilica of Bom Jesus IMG 20141222 120103165.jpg, An exhibit in the art gallery File:St. Francis Xavier's Cloth.jpg, St. Francis Xavier's Vestments File:St. Francis Xavier's Relic.jpg, Relic of St. Francis Xavier File:Saint Francis Xavier, Goa.jpg, Mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier

References

External links

* * {{coord, 15, 30, 3.14, N, 73, 54, 41.44, E, type:landmark, display=title Bom Jesus Bom Jesus Colonial Goa Bom Jesus Churches completed in 1605 1605 establishments in India 1600s establishments in Portuguese India Monuments and memorials in Goa World Heritage Sites in India Baroque architecture in India Portuguese colonial architecture in India Tourist attractions in North Goa district Roman Catholic churches in Goa

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links