The bishopric of Tenerife has evaded this Tuesday to pronounce on the incident that occurred on Sunday in the sanctuary of Carmen, in Los Realejos, when a young man burst in with a child on his shoulders and ran to the altar to deposit him at the foot of the image. An authorized spokesman for the Diocese of Nivariense has referred this newspaper to the parish priest responsible for that sanctuary, where no one has picked up the phone this Tuesday all day.
The events occurred on the afternoon of last Sunday before the mass of the Eighth of Carmen began, with the temple packed and while the pasodoble Islas Canarias, interpreted by Los Sabandeños, sounded over the public address system. When all the preparations were ready for the beginning of the ceremony, the man in question began to run down the central aisle towards the Virgin while he carried the child on his shoulders.
Without anyone coming out in his path and before the astonished gaze of the attendees, he arrived at the place with the intention of depositing the little one at the feet of the Virgin. He got his way, even though the altar began to wobble. Only one of the parishioners resisted, although he quickly gave up on his intentions when he saw that no one else was helping him.
The man left the little boy there, got out and took a few steps back to kneel in front of the Virgin and say a prayer. After this, he returned to where he had left the little one to pick him up again and take him out of the area towards the exit of the sanctuary, at which time he received applause from part of the parishioners.
