One of India’s most historic churches is suffering from “sheer negligence” by the country’s main cultural protection body, according to its rector.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa was consecrated in 1605 and houses the remains of St. Francis Xavier.

Jesuit Father Patricio Fernandes says the “colossal negligence, incompetence and inefficiency” of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) – a government body charged with the protection, preservation and conservation of nation-al monuments – has led to considerable damage to the church building and could lead to further deterioration.

The priest’s remarks came in a letter to the head of the Goa Circle of the ASI.

“The ASI’s indifference towards the Basilica – considered of religious and tourist importance all over the world for several centuries – has been most shocking and unacceptable,” Fernandes writes.

Goa – then a Portuguese colony – was annexed by India in 1961, and over 25 percent of the population is Christian – compared to the national rate of 2.3%. Goa is considered the heart of Latin Rite Catholicism in India, and UNESCO named the churches and convents of Goa a World Heritage Site.