Torrential rains in Spain forced the cancellation of the famous Catholic processions in the early hours of Good Friday in Seville, causing great disappointment among the faithful following months of preparations.
It is the first time since 2011 that bad weather has forced the departure of the six Madruga processions in Seville to be cancelled. In 2020 and 2021 they were also canceled, but due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Madrugá processions, organized by six brotherhoods, take to the streets of the Andalusian city with their images and their penitents with hoods during the night and morning of Good Friday.
They usually gather tens of thousands of faithful, curious people and tourists, attracted by images of virgins such as Esperanza de Triana and Esperanza Macarena, or the Christ of the Great Power.
After the annulments became known, with the reason of protecting these religious carvings, some from several centuries ago, from the rain, the faithful hugged and kissed each other to console themselves.
Several Guatemalans, including the historian and chronicler of the capital city, Miguel Álvarez, as well as the photographers Sergio Cruz and Danny Gamboa, have also witnessed the cancellation of the processions in Seville.
“We have seen crying and sad people, but we know that it is better to protect the city’s treasures,” says Gamboa in reference to the suspension of the processional processions.
The Guatemalan photographer, who is currently exhibiting 25 images of Guatemalan Holy Week in the General Archive of the Indies, like his colleague Sergio Cruz, points out that the cancellation has generated many mixed feelings in the Spanish town.
The so-called pales, the tunics and the rest of the images that are considered treasures have been protected from the threats of them getting wet.
“When it started to drizzle, the brotherhoods made the decision to return. We realized that they care regarding the images and people applaud,” shares the Guatemalan photographer.
According to Gamboa, during the last days of Holy Week some processions managed to take place, among them those of the brotherhood of La Paz, as well as the Borriquita (both on Palm Sunday) and La Candelaria.
“Ephemeral memory”
The mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, regretted that this year’s Madrugá will have been just an “ephemeral memory”, due to the rain, which since Palm Sunday wiped out a good part of Holy Week.
The rain forced the cancellation of other processions in Cádiz and Zaragoza, among other Spanish cities.
The Spanish meteorological agency, Aemet, issued warnings these days for 14 of the 17 regions of the country due to rain, winds of more than 70 km/h and storm surges.
Four people drowned at sea on Thursday in three incidents that occurred in the Cantabrian Sea and the Mediterranean.
The rainy season is expected to last at least until Monday, jeopardizing more processions scheduled for the weekend.
However, the rains are good news for agriculture in Andalusia and Catalonia, suffering from a long drought.
In Catalonia, groups of faithful even celebrated masses to ask for rain following three years without significant rainfall.
The region declared a drought emergency on February 1, imposing restrictions on water use in the city of Barcelona and its surrounding areas.
This year, Spain recorded its hottest January since records began in 1961, with temperatures reaching almost 30 degrees in some regions.
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, when Christians commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, followed a few days later by his trial, crucifixion and death at the hands of the Romans, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
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In Spain, the week is characterized by dozens of parades dating back to medieval times and featuring elaborate floats topped with statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
The processions, as they are called, are followed by hundreds of penitents, who traditionally wear flowing robes and pointed hoods.
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