The main Eucharists on the occasion of the Fiestas del Cristo de La Laguna will be celebrated in the atrium of the sanctuary, with limited and controlled capacity. Although a week ago the possibility of taking the holy image to the Plaza del Cristo to celebrate the solemn masses there on the 9th and 14th was being considered, that option has finally been discarded, taking into account security criteria. However, the stage of said square, and where the cultural events are taking place these days, will have a screen to see these Eucharists live, after withdrawing tickets, since the capacity of the atrium will be reduced.
This was explained yesterday during the presentation of the program of religious acts by the eldest slave of the Slavery of the Holy Christ of La Laguna, Francisco Doblas, together with the rector of the royal sanctuary, Víctor Álvarez, and the Councilor for Festivities of the City Council, Badel Albelo.
This year, the City Council of La Laguna and La Esclavitud have each presented their program and poster.
Francisco Doblas explained that the most important religious acts start tomorrow, the 9th, at 11:00 a.m., with a Eucharist presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Bernardo Álvarez, with blessing and imposition of medals on the new slaves. . The choir of the Orfeón La Paz will sing the holy mass. At the end, the emblematic ceremony of descent of the venerated image will take place, although without the traditional besapié, taking into account the health and safety criteria derived from the pandemic.
In the afternoon, at 7:30 p.m., the start of the solemn fifth will be celebrated in the atrium of the sanctuary, with the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Bernardo Álvarez and preaching by Javier Salinas, titular bishop of Monterano and auxiliary of Valencia . The El Cabo Artistic Union will sing the mass.
The next important act will take place next Tuesday, 14, the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and which will start at 10.45 am with the reception of the official representative of His Majesty the King of Spain, who this year has fallen to the Chief of the Command of the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, Carlos Palacios. After this act of reception, the Eucharist will begin in the atrium of the sanctuary, which will host another at 7:30 p.m.
On this occasion, it will be presided over by the vicar general and rector of the sanctuary, Víctor Álvarez. And the Achamán Musical Group will sing the holy mass.
For the masses that will take place in the atrium of the sanctuary there will be free capacity until it is completed, but limited to between 168-192 people, although the exact figure has yet to be specified, the Party councilor explained. This offered to Slavery “the logistics and everything that is necessary” for the organization of the Eucharist in this space, as well as the “broadcast that will be made in the square of the masses in the afternoon of the 9th and 14th, to avoid crowds, always respecting access and capacity controls to carry out safe acts ”. Therefore, it will be necessary to previously withdraw tickets at www.mueveticket.com.
Regarding the impossibility of performing masses in the Plaza del Cristo, the councilor also indicated that “there is a decree from the bishop that prohibits processions and bringing Christ to the plaza is a procession itself.” He also argued “criteria of responsibility and safety” given the possibility that “an appeal could be caused around the celebration”, so “we have decided that the best thing is to do the masses in the atrium and that they are broadcast for those who do not they can enter ”.
Postpone twinning
Regarding the act of twinning between the Slavery and the Artillery Regiment, in commemoration of the centenary of the departure of the Mountain Battery of the Cristo de La Laguna Quarter, which was scheduled for next day 14, Doblas announced that it will be postponed .
“The restrictions of the pandemic and the security plans did not allow acts to be carried out outside the stable cultural premises, since it has been decided, together with the Army, to postpone the act to a time when the situation allows us to celebrate with the dignity that it requires the renewal of the promise made a hundred years ago ”, explained Francisco Doblas.
He added that “the mayor has shown us the availability, on the part of the City Council, so that at the moment in which we go to a situation in which there is no alert for this pandemic, we can, according to the Bishopric, take out in procession the Christ to the square, if possible, and celebrate this twinning and the solemn renewal of the promise that they made in 1921, in the coming months ”.
Announcement poster
Regarding the poster for this year, Doblas explained that the situation has not allowed “much room for maneuver to find a painter or designer to make the poster”, so in the end it was decided to use the painting of Christ as an image. that Slavery has in the Boardroom.
It is an oil painting painted around 1959 by José Vicente de Buergo y Oráa, who was a lawyer, elder slave of Christ, mayor of La Laguna and a painter of recognized merit, and “stood out in his life as a person given to the needy” Doblas pointed out.
