For the first time, the atrium of the Basilica of Guadalupe looked empty during the celebrations on December 12.The Covid-19 pandemic prevented millions of parishioners from singing Las Mañanitas to the Virgin, and an atypical rain prevented 15 thousand candles from being lit and lighting the monumental rug made by artisans from Huamantla, Tlaxcala, which would decorate the Guadalupan celebrations.Silence was the only thing that accompanied the flower arrangements and the image of the Virgin embodied in sawdust of different colors;There were not millions of faithful trying to enter the religious venue, there was no uproar from the dancers who in honor of the Queen of the Americas perform their choreographies over and over again throughout December 11.Nor were the caravans seen lining up to pass in front of the image of their Patron, nor were the first aid modules saturated with attending to pilgrims with injuries to their feet or knees.The Marian Temple was not filled with tents, nor were there people in its surroundings giving away cakes, tacos, water, coffee or atole.In contrast, the surroundings of the Basilica were fenced off to prevent the passage of occasional pilgrims who tried to reach the Villa.In front of the Basilica of Guadalupe, the faithful placed candles and a mat made of sawdust with the image of the Virgin.“This year is very sad, I think it is the furthest I have come, because on other occasions I can barely enter the Guadalupe road with so fullness, you see people everywhere, from those who give away food, those who They come by bike or walking, but hey, I was able to give thanks for all the good things and I am satisfied, ”said Miguel Ángel, a believer from the State of Mexico."You have to remove and put the fences to see if time passes faster," shouted an employee of the mayor's office Gustavo A. Madero, before indicating to a couple of young people that access was restricted and that they should surround the temple to continue on your way.Minutes before 6:00 p.m., around 100 employees of the Basilica of Guadalupe tried to light the 15 thousand candles that the faithful were leaving in the temple since it was announced that this year the entrance to the esplanade would not be allowed or he would let the faithful spend the night in Tepeyac.The candles surrounded the floral rug made by artisans from Huamantla, Tlaxcala, in honor of the Virgin;in this way, the religious authorities celebrated the 489th anniversary of their appearances to San Juan Diego.On December 9, at 8:00 p.m., the Mariana Gate closed completely, as well as all the entrances to the temple, a day later, workers of the enclosure with the help of artisans from Tlaxcala placed the rugs made with more than 80 thousand flowers that represent the presence of the faithful who left them in honor of the Virgin;In the middle they built a mat made with sawdust and surrounded it with candles containing messages of gratitude and some requests such as health and employment.The religious authorities celebrated the 489th anniversary of the apparitions of the Queen of the Americas, in unusual silence.At dusk, the hundred workers of the famous and national Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe got to work and one by one tried to light the candles that would illuminate the atrium of the temple, in half an hour, they managed to light thousands of candles, but as the air darkened, he did his thing.The employees tried again and again to ignite, but in addition to the wind, it started to rain, and when the drops increased, they realized that very few candles were lit, so they stopped trying ... they did not achieve their mission, but the The colors of the monumental carpet were enough to illuminate the atrium of the Basilica of Guadalupe.As every year, Las Mañanitas guadalupanas were heard, but not in chorus by thousands of Mexicans.Later, a mass recorded by the primate bishop of Mexico, Carlos Aguiar Retes, was broadcast in the presence of the Cabildo de Guadalupe in which they prayed for the health personnel who have faced the pandemic and raised a supplication for each of the families who have lost a loved one to respiratory disease.Start your day well informed with the most relevant notesCopyright © All rights reserved |EL UNIVERSAL, National Journalistic Company.In the absence of prior authorization, the Publication, retransmission, edition and any other use of the contents is expressly prohibited.