Candelaria lived yesterday the big day of the festivities of the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands, which everyone has called the reunion, after two years with health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, although it is difficult to quantify the number, the presence of pilgrims yesterday at Villa Mariana was less than in previous years. The coincidence of a long weekend, with the 15th falling on a Monday, has made these visits more spaced, because since Friday the center of Candelaria has been a hive of people coming from all over Tenerife, the Canary Islands and even with the unique presence of returned Venezuelans from the Canary Islands.
Fewer pilgrims, but the same devotion to the Morenita, that sculpture that for more than 500 years has illuminated the path of the canaries, whether or not they are believers, due to its indisputable bond with the Guanches, those to whom it appeared on a rock on Chimisay beach, today El Socorro de Güímar.
The big day was concentrated in the solemn mass officiated by Bishop Bernardo Álvarez, who on this occasion, for more than an hour and a half, rather than referring to the invocation of Candelaria, spoke of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin and the role that Mary plays as intercession before God. The bishop recalled that “Mary was raised to heaven in body and soul” and, attending to this, he reflected: “We cannot live only with the soul without the body and with the body without soul”, to conclude that “we are soul and body and we must live our life, with soul, heart and life. When we do what comes out of our bodies or say I do what I want, we are facing one of the great dramas of this century. During the pandemic we have not been able to do anything, almost nothing, and that has caused us many problems and difficulties. Do you know what is the first cause of death in Europe in people under 25? The suicide. Why do young people commit suicide? Because we have accustomed them to pleasing the body and the pandemic created a void for them, and when that void is tried to be filled with drugs, sex, entertainment, distractions… well, logically that void continues to occur, because the human being is soul and body, That is why many end up enslaved by that dependency that we all say. That is why it is important to take care of the body and the soul”, he remarked.
After the solemn mass, which was sung by the Voces para la Esperanza Villa de Candelaria Choir and the Las Candelas Chamber Orchestra, the morning ended with the procession of the image of the patron saint of the Canary Islands around the square, despite of a light breeze that put at risk that it could be celebrated, while the saltpeter covered the slender figures of the nine menceyes who guard the abode of their Virgin.
At night, La Morenita went out on stage in the square again to receive the traditional offering, with music and traditions of parrandas, groups, dances and singers from all over the Canary Islands.
Authorities
The highest authorities of the Islands did not miss the institutional acts in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria. Up to a total of 126 political, military and consular representatives participated in the civic procession, military parade, Eucharist and procession.
Thus, the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the Minister of Ecological Transition, José Antonio Valbuena, were present; the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Pedro Martín, and several councilors, the councilor of the Cabildo de La Gomera, Miguel Melo, Canarian parliamentarians, as well as an Andean representative, the Peruvian Gustavo Pacheco, who with this visit to Candelaria initiates contacts for the twinning between Puno and Candelaria, whose link is the Virgin.
More than twenty representatives of the municipalities of Tenerife, mostly mayors, participated in the events, which were also attended by the City Council of Teror, a town twinned with Candelaria for 31 years, whose entourage was led by its mayor, Sergio Nut. In addition, both the Government delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, and the sub-delegate, Javier Plata, were present. With regard to the military, there was the Lieutenant General of the Canary Islands Command, Alejandro Escámez, and representatives of the Land, Sea and Air Armies, the Civil Guard, the National Police and the Autonomous Police.
The mayor of Candelaria, Mari Brito, presided over the civic procession that departed from the Town Hall to the Plaza de la Patrona, where the military parade took place and the reception of the representative of the king, who this year was Gustavo Matos, president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands .
