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{{Short description|Type of religion in Goa, India}}
{{Infobox religious group
|group=Christianity in Goa
|image=File:São Francisco Xavier pregando em Goa (1610) - André Reinoso (Museu de São Roque).png|population=366,130 ([[2011 Census of India|2011]]){{Increase}}<br />
25.10% {{Decrease}}|languages='''[[Latin]]''' (sacred)<br />[[Konkani in the Roman script|Roman Konkani]] (native)<br />[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]}}
The Christian population of Goa consists mostly of [[Goan Catholics]], whose ancestors converted to [[Catholicism]] during the [[Portuguese India|Portuguese rule in India]].<ref name="Crowley 2015">{{cite book
|first=Roger
|last=Crowley
|year=2015
|title=Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire
|publisher=Faber & Faber
|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
|first=Délio
|last=de Mendonça
|year=2002
|title=Conversions and citizenry: Goa under Portugal 1510–1610
|publisher=Concept Publishing Company
|location=New Delhi}}</ref> [[Christianisation]] followed the [[Portuguese conquest of Goa]] in 1510, which was followed by the [[Goa Inquisition]] from 1560 onwards. Although Christians make up over 80% of ethnic Goans (293,628 out of a total population 365,291 in 1909),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hull |first1=Ernest |title=Catholic Encyclopedia |date=1909 |publisher=Robert Appleton Company}}</ref> they were less than 27% of Goa's population in 2011<ref name="religion2">{{cite web|publisher=Census Department, Government of India|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html|title=Indian Census 2011|access-date=25 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045700/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html|archive-date=13 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> because ethnic [[Goans]] are less than 50% of the state's residents.<ref>{{cite news
|first=Vivek
|last=Menezes
|title=Who belongs to Goa? This question resurfaces as the State battles the raging pandemic
|url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/who-belongs-to-goa-this-question-resurfaces-as-the-state-battles-the-raging-pandemic/article34554870.ece
|date=15 May 2021
|work=[[The Hindu]]
|access-date=30 May 2021
|archive-date=2 June 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213112/https://www.thehindu.com/society/who-belongs-to-goa-this-question-resurfaces-as-the-state-battles-the-raging-pandemic/article34554870.ece
|url-status=live
}}</ref> There is a higher proportion of Christians in [[Velhas Conquistas]] than in [[Novas Conquistas]].

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Christians in Goa
! Year !! Number !! Percentage
|-
| 2001<ref name="religion1">{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|title=Total population by religious communities|publisher=Censusindia.gov.in|access-date=20 November 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119031333/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm|archive-date=19 January 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>|| {{center|359,568}} || {{center|26.68}}
|-
| 2011<ref name="religion2">{{cite web|publisher=Census Department, Government of India|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html|title=Indian Census 2011|access-date=25 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045700/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html|archive-date=13 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>|| {{center|366,130}} || {{center|25.10}}
|-
|}
{{Christianity}}
[[Christianity]] is the second largest religious grouping of residents in [[Goa]], [[India]]. According to the 2011 census, 25% of the resident population are [[Christians|Christian]], while 66% are [[Hindu]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW30C-01%20MDDS.XLS |title=Population by Religious Community - 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927181611/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW30C-01%20MDDS.XLS |archive-date=2015-09-27 |access-date=}}</ref><ref name="stats">{{cite web
|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm
|title=Population by religious communities
|publisher=Census department of India
|accessdate=10 March 2010
|archive-date=19 January 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119031333/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

==History==
===Portuguese rule===
{{see also|Christianisation of Goa}}[[File: Churcholdgoa (64).JPG|thumb|Chapel of St. Catherine, built in [[Old Goa]] during Portuguese rule. It should not be confused with the Cathedral of Santa Catarina, also in Old Goa.]]

After the [[Portuguese Conquest of Goa (1510)|Portuguese Conquest of Goa]] in 1510 and its subsequent [[Portuguese India|rule]] by Portugal, Goa's indigenous population underwent a large-scale conversion to Roman Catholicism. The first converts to Christianity in Goa were native Goan women who married Portuguese men that arrived with [[Afonso de Albuquerque]].<ref name="Crowley 2015"/> The city of [[Old Goa|Goa]] became the center of [[Christianisation]] in the east.<ref>{{cite book
|title=Conversions and citizenry: Goa under Portugal 1510-1610
|first=Délio
|last=de Mendonça
|publisher=Concept Publishing Company
|date=2002
|page=67}}</ref>

The evangelisation activities in Goa were divided in 1555 by the Portuguese viceroy of Goa, [[Pedro Mascarenhas]]. He allotted [[Bardez]] to the [[Franciscans]], [[Tiswadi]] to the [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]], and [[Salcette]], together with fifteen southeastern villages of Tiswadi, including [[Chorão (Island)|Chorão]] and [[Divar]], to the [[Jesuits]].<ref>{{cite book
|last=Meersman
|first=Achilles
|year=1971
|title=The ancient Franciscan provinces in India, 1500–1835
|publisher=Christian Literature Society Press
|page=107
}}</ref>

After conversion, locals were usually granted Portuguese citizenship.<ref>
{{cite book
|title=Pidgins and Creoles: References survey
|first=John A.
|last=Holm
|publisher=Cambridge University Press
|date=1989
|page=286}}</ref> The rapid rise of converts in Goa has been described as mostly the result of Portuguese economic and political control over the Hindus, who were vassals of the Portuguese crown.<ref>{{cite book
|title=Conversions and citizenry: Goa under Portugal 1510-1610
|first=Délio
|last=de Mendonça
|publisher=Concept Publishing Company
|date=2002
|page=397}}</ref>

The process of Christianisation was simultaneously accompanied by "Lusitanisation", as the Christian converts typically assumed a Portuguese veneer. This was most visible by the discarding of old Hindu names for new Christian Portuguese names. Converts usually adopted the surnames of the Portuguese priest, governor, soldier or layman who stood as godfather for their [[baptism]] ceremony.<ref name="Prabhu 1999">{{cite book
|last=Prabhu
|first=Alan Machado
|year=1999
|title=Sarasvati's Children: A History of the Mangalorean Christians
|publisher=I.J.A. Publications
|isbn=978-81-86778-25-8
}}</ref>

For instance, the ''Boletim do Instituto Vasco da Gama'' lists the new names of some of the prominent ''ganvkars'' ([[Konkani language|Konkani]]: Freeholders):
Rama Prabhu, the son of Dado Vithal Prabhu from [[Benaulim]], [[Salcette]] became Francisco Fernandes, while Mahabal Pai, the son of Nara Pai, became Manuel Fernandes in 1596. Mahabal Kamati of [[Curtorim]] became Aleixo Menezes in 1607, while Chandrappa Naik of Gandaulim became António Dias in 1632. In 1595, Vittu Prabhu became Irmão de Diego Soares and the son of Raulu Kamat became Manuel Pinto in [[Aldona]], [[Bardez]]. Ram Kamat of Punola became Duarte Lobo in 1601, while Tados Irmaose of [[Anjuna]] became João de Souza in 1658.<ref>
{{cite book
|title=History of the Dakshinatya Saraswats
|first=Venkataraya Narayan
|last=Kudva
|publisher=Samyukta Gowda Saraswata Sabha
|date=1972
|page=359}}</ref>

However, the converted Hindus retained [[Konkani language|Konkani]] as their first language and also an approximation of their original caste status, even after becoming Catholic. Based on their previous caste affiliations, the new converts were usually lumped into their new respective Catholic castes.<ref name="Bhatt"/> All converted [[Brahmins]] (Saraswat, Daivadnya, etc.) were lumped together into the Christian caste of ''Bamonn''. The converts from the [[Kshatriya]] and even some [[Vaishya Vani]] castes became ''Chardos'' (Konkani word for [[Kshatriya]]); remaining [[Vaishyas]] became ''Gauddos''; and converts from the [[Shudra]] castes as well as the previously [[Dalit]] and [[adivasi]] groups became ''Sudirs'' (Konkani word for [[Shudra]]).<ref name="Bhatt">''Land and people of Indian states and union territories'', Gopal K. Bhargava, Gopal K.; S. C. Bhatt., p. 39.</ref>

The Portuguese also oversaw the destruction of many Hindu temples. The majority of Hindu temples had already been demolished by the [[Bahmani sultanate|Bahmani]] and [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Bijapur]] sultanates by the time the Portuguese arrived in 1510.<ref name="Prabhu 1999"/> The Portuguese demolished almost all the remaining temples from the [[Velhas Conquistas]] and converted the majority of villagers to Catholicism.<ref name="temples">{{cite book|first1=Charles J. |last1=Borges |first2=Helmut |last2=Feldmann|title=Goa and Portugal: their cultural links|year=1997|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-659-8 |pages=319(refer page:58)}}</ref> The few Hindus wishing to retain their religion relocated with their idols and built temples for them in the [[Novas Conquistas]].<ref>
{{cite book
|last=Prabhu
|first=Alan Machado
|year=1999
|title=Sarasvati's Children: A History of the Mangalorean Christians
|publisher=I.J.A. Publications
|isbn=978-81-86778-25-8
|page=133
}}</ref>

[[File:Christian shrine outside Sarzora Village, Goa, India.jpg|thumb|160px|left|A typical white ''Sant Khuris'' ([[Christian cross|Holy Cross]]), of a Goan Catholic family, constructed using olden-style Portuguese architecture.]]

===Goa inquisition===
{{Main|Goa Inquisition}}

In 1560, the [[Inquisition]] established an office in Goa. It was finally abolished in 1812. Of the 1,582 persons convicted between 1560 and 1623, 45.2% were convicted for offenses related to Judaism and Islam.<ref>{{cite book
|first=João
|last=Delgado Figueira
|date=1623
|publisher=Biblioteca National
|place=Lisbon
|title=Listas da Inquisição de Goa (1560-1623)
}}</ref> A compilation of the auto-da-fé statistics from 1560 to 1812 of the Goa Inquisition reveal that a total of 57 persons were burnt in the flesh and 64 in effigy (i.e. a statue resembling the person). All the burnt were convicted as relapsed heretics or for sodomy.<ref>{{cite book
|first=Fortunato
|last=de Almeida
|title=História da Igreja em Portugal, vol. IV
|location=Porto
|publisher=Portucalense Editora
|date=1923
}}</ref>

===Indian Occupation===
Since the 20th century, the percentage of the Christian population of Goa has been facing continual decrease. This is caused by a combination of permanent emigration of native Goans from Goa to cosmopolitan Indian cities (e.g. Mumbai, Bangalore) and foreign countries,<ref>{{cite book
|last=Saldhana
|first=Arun
|title=Psychedelic White: Goa Trance and the Viscosity of Race
|publisher=University of Minnesota Press
|date=2007
|isbn=978-0-8166-4994-5}}</ref> combined with mass immigration of non-Goans from the rest of India since the 20th century, which has made Goans a virtual minority in the state.<ref name="Rajesh Ghadge 2015">Rajesh Ghadge (2015). ''The story of Goan Migration.''</ref>
According to the 1909 statistics in the Catholic Encyclopedia, the total Catholic population was 293,628 out of a total population 365,291 (80.33%).<ref>{{cite book
|chapter=Archdiocese of Goa
|first=Ernest
|last=Hull
|title=Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 6
|date=1909
|publisher=Robert Appleton Company
|location=New York}}</ref> Currently, Christians constitute 366,130 of the total population of 1,458,545 in Goa (25.10%) according to the 2011 census.<ref name="THReligion">
{{cite news
|url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/religious-communities-census-2011-what-the-numbers-say/article7582284.ece
|title = India's religions by numbers
|date = 29 March 2016
|publication-date = 26 August 2015
|work = [[The Hindu]]
|access-date = 6 September 2017
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160110201326/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/religious-communities-census-2011-what-the-numbers-say/article7582284.ece#
|archive-date = 10 January 2016
|url-status = live
}}</ref>

==Roman Catholicism==
The [[Archbishop]] of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman]] carries the title [[Patriarch of the East Indies]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia
| last = Benigni
| first = U.
| year = 1886
| url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07758a.htm
| title = Patriarchate of the East Indies
| encyclopedia = [[Catholic Encyclopedia]]
| access-date = March 13, 2006
| archive-date = February 21, 2006
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060221234217/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07758a.htm
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Old Goa was once called "Rome of the East" and was the capital of the Roman church in the eastern world. The remains of the Jesuit St. Francis Xavier are kept in veneration in the [[Basilica of Bom Jesus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-12/goa/30390942_1_iffi-novena-baretto |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216065215/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-12/goa/30390942_1_iffi-novena-baretto |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 February 2013 |title=Church slams govt over Iffi dates, threat to Old Goa|date=12 November 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=4 December 2013}}</ref> The [[Se Cathedral|Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina]] is one of the largest church buildings in Asia.<ref name="Pereira 2001">{{cite book|last=Pereira|first=José|title=Churches of Goa|year=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Delhi|isbn=978-0-19-565559-9}}</ref> The [[Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi|Igreja de São Francisco de Assis]], built in 1661, now houses an archaeological museum.<ref name="Pereira 2001"/> [[Churches and convents of Goa]] were declared a [[World Heritage Site]] by [[UNESCO]] in 1986.<ref name="UNESCO">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/234/|title=Churches and Convents of Goa|first=UNESCO World Heritage|last=Centre|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=26 November 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051126202241/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/234/|url-status=live}}</ref> Plenty of churches can be seen all over the state with impressive Portuguese-[[Manueline]]-[[Baroque]] architecture. The Goan Catholics still prefer to use [[Konkani in the Roman script]] rather than its Devanagiri counterpart, especially during the liturgy.<ref>{{cite book
|author1-link=Anvita Abbi |last1=Abbi |first1=Anvita |last2=Gupta |first2=R. S.|author3-link=Ayesha Kidwai |last3=Kidwai |first3=Ayesha |title= Linguistic Structure and Language Dynamics in South Asia: Papers from the Proceedings of SALA XVIII Roundtable
|year=1997
|isbn=978-81-208-1765-4
|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publications
}}</ref>

== Further reading ==
* [https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06602a.htm "Archdiocese of Goa"] by Hull, E. (1909). In The Catholic Encyclopedia

==See also==

* [[Christianity in India]]
* [[Goa Inquisition]]
* [[Cuncolim Massacre]]
* [[Christianization of Goa]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Christianity in India by region}}

[[Category:Christianity in Goa| ]]
[[Category:Religion in Goa]]

Christianity in Goa - Revision history

Giispune at 01:18, 4 May 2026